Home » New data from the Juno spacecraft map Jupiter’s atmosphere in 3D, with a depth of 500 kilometers in the Great Red Spot

New data from the Juno spacecraft map Jupiter’s atmosphere in 3D, with a depth of 500 kilometers in the Great Red Spot

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For centuries, Jupiter has attracted countless light with the famous Great Red Spot storm. Astronomers are trying to understand the cause of this storm, which is several times larger than the Earth. The Juno probe, which has been in Jupiter’s orbit for five years, is even more helpful. Download countless images. Recently, astronomers have drawn the first and most complete 3D picture of Jupiter’s atmosphere to date based on new data brought back by the Juno spacecraft.

The Great Red Spot (GRS) is a huge anticyclonic storm located 22° south of Jupiter’s equator. It has a diameter of more than 16,000 kilometers and is large enough to fit 2 to 3 Earths. But scientists have not yet reached a definitive conclusion about the depth of the Great Red Spot. Is this huge storm only raging in a local area, or is it going to stir deep into Jupiter? According to the latest data from the Juno microwave radiometer (MWR), astronomers have the answer.

With the Juno flying at a low altitude above Jupiter’s clouds at a speed of about 209,000 kilometers per hour, the researchers found that the depth of the Great Red Spot was even less bottomed than previously estimated, and it might extend 500 kilometers below the clouds. A field storm appears on the earth. It will extend from the sea level all the way to the International Space Station. It is a terrible weather event and it is unknown when it will dissipate.

The data also shows that some cyclones on Jupiter have higher top temperatures and lower atmospheric density, while the bottoms are colder and denser; but anticyclones such as the Great Red Class have colder tops and warmer bottoms.

In addition, Juno previously discovered several giant cyclone storms neatly arranged in circles at the poles of Jupiter: the North Pole is arranged in an octagonal shape, and the South Pole is arranged in a pentagonal shape. Now the new observational data of the JIRAM instrument confirms that these cyclones will affect each other’s motion, thus keeping each other roughly in the same position, instead of drifting toward the poles like a storm on the earth.

The Juno observation mission is expected to last until 2025. In the next few years, Juno’s orbit will move slightly away from the Great Red Spot, and the center of gravity may also shift to study Jupiter’s mysterious polar cyclones.

(Source of the first image: NASA)

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