Amazing new photographs of Jupiter have been obtained by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, providing researchers with further information about the planet's habitability. There's a lot going on in Jupiter's atmosphere, from massive storms to tremendous winds and auroras to abnormally high temperatures and low pressure.
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Auroras stretch to high heights over both the northern and southern poles of Jupiter in the solo picture of Jupiter, made from a composite of many photos from Webb.
5 interesting facts about Jupiter that NASA's stunning new image revealed
- For us to see Jupiter in the shot, NASA had to conduct some post-processing since the telescope doesn't operate like our cameras. The stunning, full-colour appearance of the planet is the result of the careful composition and stitching together of several photos.
- Jupiter's coloration is a result of scientists assembling images taken via a variety of filters into a single composite. NASA claims that since the photos were taken infrared, they had to be digitally coloured to make the details stand out.
- The Great Red Spot, which has become an emblematic feature of Jupiter, is stunning to look at, yet it is also very dangerous feature. According to NASA, the phenomenon in question is a massive storm that "may devour Earth."
- Jupiter is covered with a rainbow of colours and streaks, each of which has a unique significance. White "spots" and "streaks" are really extremely high-altitude convective clouds. According to NASA, Jupiter's darkest regions are those with the least amount of cloud cover.
- Photos of Jupiter are great, but there are also others that show what's surrounding Jupiter that are much cooler. Those faint rings around the planet and the two moons are all visible in this one image. To Jupiter's immediate right lies Adrastea, while to the far left is Amalthea. According to NASA, those dim specks in the front are really galaxies "photobombing" the scene.
