Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, and although not the most majestic, as many might argue (including me) that spot¡¯s been taken by its neighbour Saturn, yet its gargantuan size is surely a sight to behold.
However, now, NASA shared a never-before-seen image of Jupiter that can salivate anyone¡¯s mouth while they¡¯re locked up in their homes due to COVID-19.
NASA shared this image of Jupiter on their Instagram, captured by the beloved Juno spacecraft that has been taking rounds of the massive planet since the year 2011. The image is of the North Pole region that also showcases the red swirling cyclones on the planet.?
NASA stated while sharing this image, ¡°Oh wait, nevermind, that¡¯s just an infrared look at Jupiter¡¯s North Pole. Our James Webb Space Telescope will examine the atmosphere of Jupiter¡¯s polar region, where @NASAJuno discovered the clusters of cyclones seen in this image. @NASAWebb's data will provide much more detail than has been possible in past observations, measuring winds, cloud particles, gas composition, and temperature.¡±
But to many who saw this Jupiter image, it looks a lot more like a giant pizza slice in space. The red-crimson perfectly cooked pepperoni alongside melting mozzarella cheese to the side. And this surely tempted many.?
NASA will now take help of the James Webb Space Telescope for deciphering the mysteries of the largest planet in our solar system. A team of over 40 researchers led by astronomers Imke de Pater from the University of California, Berkeley and Thierry Fouchet of the Observatoire de Paris have created an observing program to study not just Jupiter, but also its ring system as well two of its moons Ganymede and lo.
Imke de Pater said in a statement, "It will be a really challenging experiment. Jupiter is so bright, and Webb's instruments are so sensitive, that observing both the bright planet and its fainter rings and moons will be an excellent test of how to get the most out of Webb's innovative technology."
He added, "We know that the immediate atmosphere above the Great Red Spot is colder than other areas of Jupiter, but at higher altitudes, in the mesosphere, the atmosphere appears to be warmer. We will use Webb to investigate this phenomenon."