The iconic Great Red Spot on Jupiter is exhibiting a peculiar behavior, oscillating and changing in size every 90 days. Scientists using the Hubble Space Telescope are baffled by this new discovery and are looking to the James Webb Space Telescope for further insights into this shrinking, pulsating storm.
Using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), astronomers have uncovered previously unseen structures and activity in Jupiter’s atmosphere above the Great Red Spot, caused by powerful atmospheric gravity waves. These findings challenge the previously held assumption that the region above the Great Red Spot was relatively uninteresting and offer insights into the complex dynamics of Jupiter’s atmosphere.
NASA has shared awe-inspiring images from deep space, capturing majestic cosmic wonders. These images showcase the beauty and complexity of the universe, from star-forming galaxies to swirling nebulae and giant storms on planets.
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has captured a rare view of Jupiter’s fifth moon, Amalthea, transiting the planet’s iconic Great Red Spot. Despite being Jupiter’s fifth-largest moon, Amalthea is a relatively small, potato-shaped satellite with a unique red surface. The spacecraft’s close flyby revealed Amalthea’s orbit, which is the third-shortest among Jupiter’s moons. Juno’s observations also shed light on Amalthea’s mysterious heat emissions and the potential role of Jupiter’s immense magnetic field and radiation belts in its energy balance.
