Astronomy Picture of the Day - Cyclones at Jupiter's North Pole

NASA ^ | 9 Mar, 2025 | Image Credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech, SwRI, ASI, INAF, JIRAM

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: Why are there so many cyclones around the north pole of Jupiter? The topic is still being researched. NASA's robotic Juno mission orbiting Jupiter took data in 2018 that was used to construct this stunning view of the curious cyclones at Jupiter's north pole. Measuring the thermal emission from Jovian cloud tops, the infrared observations are not restricted to the hemisphere illuminated by sunlight. They reveal eight cyclonic features that surround a cyclone about 4,000 kilometers in diameter, just offset from the giant planet's geographic north pole. Similar data show a cyclone at the Jovian south pole with five circumpolar cyclones. The south pole cyclones are slightly larger than their northern cousins. Oddly, data from the once Saturn-orbiting Cassini mission has shown that Saturn's north and south poles each have only a single cyclonic storm system.

[dennisw]

I figured Jupiter’s gas clouds wee so cold that these huge cyclones would be revolving 20 miles per hour.

[Bon of Babble]

Beautiful!

Looks like something I had cooking on the stove earlier today.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

A wild picture! What were you cooking that looks like that?

(Looks like something you would find in a blast furnace at USS!)

Did you feel the quake cluster today??

[Red Badger]

Cyclones at Jupiter’s North Pole......is better than Klingon’s on Uranus...............

[Bon of Babble]

LOL, I didn’t feel any of the quakes, which is unusual b/c usually I do - did notice a family photo askew on a wall - either an earthquake or ghost of a relative that did it!

My family loves chili - those colors reminded me of the beautiful reds and oranges of chili simmering for hours on the stove - and yes it looks like a blast furnace! (results are delicious, though).

I’ve been going down a recipe list of “best chilis” of each state - so far the favorite is Arkansas with Indiana a close second.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

There was a Texas Cookoff chili winner that was made with ground chuck and cubed Fillet Mignon 6 oz of chorizo and NO beans. I made it one time out of curiosity, and yes, it was delicious. I am not, however, in the habit of buying fillet mignon in general, and curiousity satisfied, not for use in Chili.

This is not it, it is something like it. (cubed brisket and some chorizo would make it pretty close.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSbzShDHsDQ

OK, food slide over!

[Bon of Babble]

LOL - I will add it to my chili rotation. We’re supposed to get several atmospheric rivers this week so I’ll be hunkered down.

The chili from Indiana - which I’ve made several times - has won chili contests all over the US at state fairs, chili cook-offs, etc. Secret ingredient? Campbell’s Tomato Soup!!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Yep. Sounds like Indiana! (If you thicken it with potato chips it would probably be Wisconsin!)