NASA's Juno mission has become a favorite among space enthusiasts due to its JunoCam instrument, which frequently obtains stunning photographs of the planet Jupiter and its moons. The spacecraft made its 49th close flyby of the planet earlier this year, and NASA has revealed some more amazing photographs obtained as it raced through the planet's cloud tops.
The first image, acquired during the spacecraft's close flyby on March 1, shows the complex formations in the planet's cloud tops. The image, according to NASA, depicts "bands of high-altitude haze forming above cyclones in an area known as Jet N7." Cyclones are a prevalent feature on Jupiter, especially around the poles, and are caused by changes in atmospheric pressure, causing sections of the atmosphere to revolve. There are several cyclones that revolve clockwise here, but anticyclones that rotate counterclockwise are also abundant.
NASA's Juno mission performed its 49th close flyby of Jupiter on March 1, 2023. The JunoCam instrument on the spacecraft captured this view of bands of high-altitude haze forming above cyclones in an area known as Jet N7 as it flew low above the giant planet's cloud tops. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS image data Björn Jónsson CC NC SA image processing
Jupiter's Jet N7 region is located in the northern hemisphere and has previously been found to feature violent storms in its atmosphere. The photograph was obtained while Juno was around 5,095 miles (8,200 kilometers) above the cloud tops, and it was processed by a citizen scientist named Björn Jónsson.
JunoCam's raw images are all publically available, and if you want to try your hand at image processing yourself, check out the image processing gallery and website.
The raw images from JunoCam are all made public, and if you want to try your hand at image processing yourself, you may visit the image processing gallery and website.
NASA's Juno mission noticed the brightness from a bolt of lightning in this image of a vortex near Jupiter's north pole. On Earth, lightning strikes originate in water clouds and occur most frequently towards the equator, whereas on Jupiter, lightning strikes are expected to originate in clouds holding an ammonia-water solution and can be seen most frequently at the poles. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS image data Kevin M. Gill processed the images. © CC BY
Another eye-catching JunoCam image reveals a vortex near Jupiter's north pole. The green flash in the image's center is the illumination from a bolt of lightning, which is known to exist in the planet's atmosphere. Lightning occurs primarily at lower altitudes on Earth and is caused by clouds of water vapor that accumulate static charge. However, on Jupiter, the clouds contain ammonia in addition to water, allowing lightning to develop at higher altitudes.
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On December 30, 2020, the spacecraft was 19,900 miles (32,000 kilometers) from the cloud tops when this image was taken. Kevin M. Gill, who specializes in JunoCam pictures, processed it. More JunoCam photographs should be available in the following months when the Juno spacecraft approaches Jupiter and travels over its night side, potentially capturing more lightning.