Warm up with this relaxing photo of a hotspot on Jupiter
New composite image for Jupiter atmosphere A brightly glowing hot spot appears at infrared wavelengths.
Astronomers and amateur image processors gathered data from NASA Juno spacecraft At Jupiter and the Northern Gemini Telescope in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, to create the epic image. Although researchers have known about hotspots on Jupiter for more than 25 years, views such as these 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.
“With the naked eye, JupiterThe hot spots appear as cloudless dark regions in the equatorial belt of the planet, but they are very bright at infrared wavelengths, and reveal the warm and deep atmosphere under the clouds. “
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NASA released the image just weeks after it revealed new public data from the Juno spacecraft on it Hotspots on Jupiter are wider and deeper than scientists previously realized. Juno collects its data during Jupiter’s periodic downturns, called peregovis, that are showing scientists more about Planet’s atmosphere.
The NASA’s Galileo spacecraft He was likely the first to spot hot spots on the planet, when he accidentally flew across one en route to a planned demise in Jupiter’s atmosphere. (The spacecraft was finishing a long mission in 1995 and Scientists Threw the spacecraft into Jupiter To destroy the spacecraft and eliminate any chance, however small, of contaminating one of Jupiter’s potentially habitable icy moons.)
Galileo found a stormy, dry environment during its eruption, which was not what scientists expected. The researchers thought the spacecraft had found a “desert” in a humid northern tropical region, but recent results from Juno indicate that this entire region is, in fact, completely dry.
NASA Juno’s mission was recently extended to 2025, Although the spacecraft may not survive for long in the intense radiation environment surrounding Jupiter. But for now, an independent review panel advising NASA on the decision has indicated that the spacecraft is still healthy and has a lot of power. The extended mission observations will help NASA prepare for her upcoming Europa Clipper The committee added that the mission to the icy moon Europa.
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