Jupiter’s amazing auroras

NASA did it again. The photos it now shares once again amaze us. They are sharp, never-before-seen photographs of Jupiter. What is shown there? Jupiter’s amazing auroras.

You see a planet full of color. The phenomena that occur there are great: giant storms, auroras and extreme conditions of temperature and pressure. The photographs were taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.

Jupiter's amazing auroras are captured by NASA.
Jupiter’s amazing auroras are captured by NASA.

Manyas and rings

“The image summarizes our program’s scientific research on the Jupiter system. We study the dynamics and chemistry of this planet, its rings and its satellite system.” Thierry Fouchet, an academic at the Paris Observatory, explained.

There is one remarkable aspect of the disseminated photographs. They are the amazing auroras of Jupiter. They are displayed at high altitudes above the north and south poles. They can be seen to be red-orange in color. And they highlight the light reflected from the lower clouds and upper hazes.

Another feature is the so-called Great Red Spot. It is a storm so large and powerful that it could swallow the Earth. It appears white because they reflect a lot of light from the Sun.

There are bright spots or streaks extending all over the planet. They would be clouds moving at a high altitude and creating condensed convective storms.

“It’s really remarkable that we can see details about Jupiter along with its rings. We see its tiny satellites, and even galaxies, in a single image.” Says Imke de Pater, professor emerita at the University of California at Berkeley. She is another of those in charge of the mission.

Also Jupiter's rings, usually unnoticeable, can be seen in the images.
Also Jupiter’s rings, usually imperceptible, can be seen in the images.

Infrared vision

The images come from the Webb telescope’s near-infrared camera. It has three specialized infrared filters that show details of the planet. “Infrared light is invisible to the human eye. So it has been transferred to the visible spectrum. Generally, longer wavelengths look redder. And shorter wavelengths show up bluer,” he details.

“Webb’s observations of Jupiter will give scientists even more clues about life on its interior,” NASA concludes.

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