Posted on 11/23/2020 3:13:28 PM PST by MtnClimber
Explanation: Why do colorful cloud bands encircle Jupiter? Jupiter's top atmospheric layer is divided into light zones and dark belts that go all the way around the giant planet. It is high horizontal winds -- in excess of 300 kilometers per hour -- that cause the zones to spread out planet-wide. What causes these strong winds remains a topic of research. Replenished by upwelling gas, zonal bands are thought to include relatively opaque clouds of ammonia and water that block light from lower and darker atmospheric levels. One light-colored zone is shown in great detail in the featured vista taken by the robotic Juno spacecraft in 2017. Jupiter's atmosphere is mostly clear and colorless hydrogen and helium, gases that are not thought to contribute to the gold and brown colors. What compounds create these colors is another active topic of research -- but is hypothesized to involve small amounts of sunlight-altered sulfur and carbon. Many discoveries have been made from Juno's data, including that water composes an unexpectedly high 0.25 percent of upper-level cloud molecules near Jupiter's equator, a finding important not only for understanding Jovian currents but for the history of water in the entire Solar System.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then zoom by moving the magnifying glass over an area and then clicking. The side bars will move the zoomed area over the photograph.
Maybe the clouds are there to keep Juno from seeing what Jupiter is up to.
Most cool!
A fire-breathing dragon is not as good as a kitten, though.
That turbulence is impressive.
That is SO freakin’ cool! I know no one here really cares, but I am working on a series of scarves (Monthly Fiber Arts Thread) that are made up of colors of the corresponding planets in our Solar System.
Earth, of course, is MOST beautiful with her many shades of green, blue, tan, white, etc.
But I cannot WAIT to start designing Jupiter! :)
Pizza planet!
Thanks for posting!
(God dabbling his fingers in the clouds of Jupiter making colorful swirls as he waits for judgement day!)
It's been over a year since NASA's Cassini spacecraft plunged to its death after orbiting Saturn for an impressive thirteen years.
Yet even from the grave, the exquisite images from this stalwart probe continue to take our breath away.
In fact the two planets right now, Nov 23, are fairly close to each other (first image below).
In reality, Saturn is actually something like 500 million miles behind Jupiter.
After dark tonight it was fairy clear and I got good views of Mars overhead and Jupiter/Saturn more to the west. I have been watching Jupiter and Saturn getting closer for a long time.
Whoa! That is interesting.
Yes. That photo has the Maroon Bells in the center (near Aspen). North Maroon Peak is closest and South Maroon Peak is behind it. I have climbed the North peak. To the left and not in view from that location is Pyramid Peak which I have also climbed.
Thanks for posting the Cassini Jupiter video. I am sure everyone was as awestruck as me.
You’re welcome.
Looks like Io held on by half a length over Europa.
Figures. I had a $20 Europa-Io exacta! Damnit!
Lol!
:)
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