“Gulf”
A new image taken by NASA’s Juno spacecraft of Jupiter revealed the turbulent atmosphere of the largest planet in the solar system, in the same colors as seen by a human observer, according to what was published by the “Russia Today” website.
The spacecraft captured the image using its JunoCam instrument, at a distance of 3,300 miles (5,300 km) from the tops of the gas giant clouds, and sped up at 130,000 mph (209,000 km).
Scientist Bjorn Johnson processed the raw data from Juno to create two images. The first image shows the view as it would appear to a human observer in Juno mode, while the second image shows the complex structure of the atmosphere.
The color variations in the enhanced image reflect differences in the chemical composition of different parts of Jupiter’s atmosphere and reveal the three-dimensional nature of powerful storms circulating in the planet’s clouds.
Launched in 2011, Juno has been exploring the gas giant since 2016. It orbits the planet in a highly elliptical orbit, completing one orbit every 43 days, enabling regular dips near the planet’s circular clouds.
Juno was originally scheduled to retire in 2021, but it will continue to operate until at least 2025.
