Posted on 07/29/2022 11:31:56 AM PDT by Red Badger
NASA's image of vortex-like swirls that represent giant storms on Jupiter.
JunoCam's recent image of the incredibly huge storms decorating Jupiter's north pole region.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing by Brian Swift
Our solar system's citrus-colored gas giant, Jupiter, is no stranger to chaos. And earlier this month, NASA's Juno mission captured a mesmerizing snap to prove that point.
During the probe's 43rd close flyby of the enormous planet, its JunoCam instrument caught sight of watercolor vortices near the north pole. These hypnotic views are deceptively stunning -- they are of hurricane wind patterns that can reach over 30 miles (48 kilometers) in height and spread across hundreds of miles of gaseous plains.
Though the picture we see of the frightening spectacle is decked out in lovely ceruleans, iridescent opals and strong teals, it's important to realize that it's digitally processed to hold such vivid blue-ish hues. After collecting raw JunoCam data -- specifically an image taken by the space explorer at about 15,600 miles (25,100 kilometers) above Jupiter's cloud tops -- citizen scientist Brian Swift enhanced these Jovian storms for analytic purposes.
A marble-hued Jupiter against the black of space The Juno spacecraft captured this Jupiter view in late May 2019.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill
For instance, an achingly beautiful view of Jupiter and its moon, Ganymede, released earlier this year isn't colorized in blue tones at all -- and a composite image from last year might lead you to believe the Jovian lifestyle is shrouded in hellish flames. In reality, if we could hypothetically pop up next to Jupiter right now, we'd see those spirals projecting a variety of other colors – which fascinatingly depend on the chemistry and direction of each one.
Counterclockwise and clockwise cyclones in Jupiter's northern hemisphere, as an example, offer their own separate palates. Counterclockwise and clockwise ones in the southern hemisphere also have their own. For context, Jupiter's "Great Red Spot" is a southern hemisphere, counterclockwise storm.
Jupiter's Great Red Spot
This NASA image shows Jupiter's Great Red Spot.
NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute
But apart from color schemes, scientists are also generally interested in understanding Jupiter's stormy weather because such knowledge could help decode information about Jovian clouds and fluid dynamics in the atmosphere. This endeavor is so important, in fact, that NASA has been trying to outsource the job of categorizing storm images and other atmospheric phenomena of Jupiter.
You can even take part in what's called the "Jovian Vortex Hunter" project online. All you need is access to a cellphone or laptop – so far, per the agency, 2,404 volunteers have contributed to study 376,725 images for the mission.
Zooming out, Jupiter is home to a great many mysteries, which is why the European Space Agency is poised to send its own probe toward the peach-striped ball of gas to join Juno's cosmic expedition. Others have even tried to explore whether Jupiter's nearly invisible, extremely frail rings could hold secrets to unlock the puzzles of this planet -- to no avail.
First published on July 28, 2022 at 2:45 p.m. PT.
NASA Ping!......................
The “Monet was an Alien” crowd will be along any minute now...
No, Monet was not an alien
He was nearsighted.......................
Very cool= the photos look like designer marbles too- Neat stuff-
maybe Monet’s eyesight was better than we gave him credit for? lol
Release the Kraken!
He apparently developed cataracts. But many impressionist paintings appear ‘indistinct’ in this way. (I’m not aware of any mention of Renoir having eyesight issues; nor of Turner, who is considered by many a forerunner of Impressionism.)
The planet-storm photos are strikingly beautiful.
The first one looks similar to Van Gogh’s
Starry-Starry Night. Effective, while using only one main color (Ultramarine Blue? +Cadium White+ Impasto brush) and random textural erruptions.
Fantastic photos!
Bflr
That giant red spot on Jupiter is probably larger than the earth. And I recall seeing it in photo’s from 70 years ago.
So ..., Jupiter would be a great place to fly a kite!
Except for no place to stand, a toxic atmosphere, a gravity to die for, ... etc.
Just those minor quibbles!
However, the end results is that God is a GREAT PAINTER, no matter what painter’s palette HE uses!
Who would the storms on Jupiter actually frighten?
I would have expected the Jovians to be quite jovial.
Some conception art of Jupiter gas bag/floating life forms.
I think it was renior that lost his eyesight, or it got pretty bad anyways towards the end- if i recall correctly?
I love turner paintings too- such a cool style he had-
Well, he lived to be 78, and most peoples’ eyes go a little wonky in old age. I’ve heard that he developed rheumatoid arthritis which really incapacitated him and affected his ability to hold a brush; but I’ve never heard that his eyesight affected his painting. I guess you’d have to correlate his style/paintings with changes in his eyesight.
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