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A new composite image of Jupiter’s atmosphere shows a bright hot spot in infrared wavelengths.
Astronomers and amateur image processors have combined NASA data Juno Spaceship to Jupiter and the Gemini North Telescope in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, to create the epic image. Although researchers have known about Jupiter’s hotspots for over 25 years, views like this give scientists a better understanding of how storms and atmospheric waves contribute to the “elusive” water content of Jupiter’s atmosphere. , NASA officials wrote in a statement.
“To the naked eye, JupiterHotspots on the planet appear as dark, cloud-free areas in the planet’s equatorial belt, but at infrared wavelengths they are extremely bright, revealing the warm, deep atmosphere below the clouds. The statement continued.
In pictures: Juno’s breathtaking view of Jupiter
NASA released the image just weeks after new public data from the Juno spacecraft revealed that hot spots on Jupiter are wider and deeper than scientists previously thought. Juno gathers its data during periodic descents from Jupiter, called perijoves, which show scientists more about the the atmosphere of the planet.
the NASA Galileo Spaceship was probably the first to discover the planet’s hotspots, when it accidentally flew over one on its way to a planned disappearance in Jupiter’s atmosphere. (The spacecraft completed a long mission in 1995 and scientists threw the spaceship into Jupiter to destroy the spaceship and eliminate any chance, however small, of contaminating one of Jupiter’s possibly habitable frozen moons.)
Galileo found a windy and dry environment as he dived until he disappeared, which was not what scientists expected. Researchers believed the spacecraft had found a “desert” in an otherwise humid northern equatorial region, but more recent results from Juno suggest that the entire area is actually quite dry.
NASA recently extended Juno’s mission until 2025, although the spacecraft may not survive that long in the intense radiation environment surrounding Jupiter. But for now, an independent review panel advising NASA on the decision noted, the spacecraft remains healthy and has plenty of power. The mission’s extended observations will help NASA prepare for its next Europa Clipper mission to Europe’s icy moon, the panel added.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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