NASA Confirms Discovery of High-Speed Jet Stream on Jupiter
In a groundbreaking discovery, NASA has confirmed the existence of a high-speed jet stream on the planet Jupiter using the James Webb Space Telescope. This remarkable phenomenon, traveling at speeds of up to 515 kilometers per hour, surpasses the strongest winds found on Earth.
The discovery was made possible by the advanced capabilities of the Webb telescope, a joint effort by NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. Launched on December 25, 2021, the telescope focused on Jupiter as one of its first observed targets in July 2022, providing astonishing information about the gas giant.
Jupiter, known for its turbulent atmosphere and complex weather patterns, has long been a subject of observation for previous missions and telescopes. However, the capabilities of the Webb telescope have allowed scientists to explore the highest layers of Jupiter’s atmosphere, providing an unprecedented view of this extreme environment.
The high-speed jet stream, or jet stream, is characterized by strong winds concentrated in a long, narrow band in the planet’s atmosphere, generated by the encounter between air masses of different temperatures. Webb’s exceptional vision enabled the capture of sharp images, unlike the blurry views of previous telescopes. The jet stream was observed at Jupiter’s equator.
On Earth, such jet streams significantly impact the formation and trajectory of storm systems and play a crucial role in climate and weather prediction. Understanding Jupiter’s jet stream will provide valuable insights into the behavior of atmospheric phenomena.
Led by Ricardo Hueso, a physics professor at the University of the Basque Country in Spain and lead author of the study, a team of scientists used Webb’s ability to capture infrared light and detect changes in Jupiter’s atmosphere. This allowed them not only to observe the previously unseen jet stream but also to measure its speed.
“This is something that has totally surprised us,” said Professor Hueso. “What we have always seen as fuzzy hazes in Jupiter’s atmosphere now appear as sharp features that we can track along with the planet’s rapid rotation.”
The discovered jet stream is located on Jupiter’s equator, protruding approximately 40 kilometers above the planet’s primordial clouds. With a diameter of over 4,800 kilometers, it moves at an impressive speed of 515 kilometers per hour. The telescope’s near-infrared camera captured detailed images of this phenomenon.
The findings from the Webb telescope will fuel future research into Jupiter’s atmospheric dynamics. The images of Jupiter’s upper atmospheric layers, which rise between 25 to 50 kilometers above the cloud tops, provide unprecedented clarity. Webb’s ability to capture sharp images, combined with data from its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, has allowed astronomers to compare Jupiter’s winds at different altitudes, yielding deeper insights into the planet’s internal dynamics.
These new observations will be crucial in further studying the behavior of the jet stream, including possible changes in speed and altitude. Scientists hope that upcoming observations by the Webb telescope will uncover more surprises and shed more light on this fascinating atmospheric phenomenon.