Jupiter’s Stormy Weather Captured in Stunning Images by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope
The gas giant Jupiter is known for its tumultuous atmosphere filled with cyclones, wind shear, and violent storms, making it a planet of constant stormy weather. With no solid surface, Jupiter is covered with ammonia ice-crystal clouds that give it its distinctive banded appearance.
On January 5-6, 2024, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured spectacular images of Jupiter’s stormy weather, tracking the iconic Great Red Spot and other stormy features in the planet’s turbulent atmosphere. The images revealed two large storms—a deep red cyclone and a reddish anticyclone—rotating in opposite directions, expected to repel each other due to their opposing rotations.
Additionally, Hubble also captured images of Io, Jupiter’s innermost Galilean moon, known as the most volcanically active body in the solar system. The moon’s surface is constantly changing due to its volcanic activity, providing researchers with valuable insights into planetary geology.
The Hubble Space Telescope, a joint project between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), has been in operation for over three decades, continuing to provide groundbreaking discoveries and new perspectives on the universe. The latest images of Jupiter’s stormy weather offer a glimpse into the dynamic and ever-changing nature of our solar system’s largest planet.
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