Jupiter’s Great Red Spot stars in the new Hubble view of the planet’s insane storms


The Hubble Space Telescope broke this spectacular view of Jupiter and its moon Europa in August 2020.

NASA, ESA, a. Simon (NASA / GSFC), MH Wong (University of California, Berkeley) and the OPL team

Jupiter is nothing like Earth. The gas giant’s revolving, turbulent atmosphere is hidden by wild storms. The Earth’s colorful cloud band stands out in a new Hubble Space Telescope image captured on 25 Aug Gust.

The 406 million miles (650 million kilometers) distant view is beautifully sharp thanks to Hubble’s keen eye. The telescope is a joint project between NASA and the European Space Agency.

Scientists are particularly excited about the new fast-moving storm that erupted in the middle of the Sci Gust. It shows up as a bright white area on the top left of the planet. “The duration of the Hubble observations during the early stages of its development is apt to demonstrate the formation following the disruption,” NASA said.

If you look closely, you can also see Jupiter’s beautiful moon Europa in the darkness on the left. NASA is developing A mission to visit the icy world, Which may be The main place to check for alien life.

Hubble’s Jupiter portrait illuminates the planet’s most famous feature. “The iconic Great Red Spot, a hurricane big enough to swallow the Earth enough to show that it shrinks a little in Hubble images, but it still dominates the entire southern atmosphere, is shared by clouds like a cargo ship,” NASA said in a release. . On thursday.

Research shows that the Great Red Spot is getting smaller, and the cause of the change in size is not known. Scientists still It is expected to hang for years, And hopefully for more Hubble portraits like this. The space telescope is nearby Saw its share of technical hurdles, But never surrendered.

See also: These telescopes work with your phone to show what is in the sky