The Juno spacecraft, which is currently orbiting Jupiter, caught the fascinating evolution of "Clyde's Spot," a feature of the giant planet's atmosphere.
Juno discovered during its low pass over Jupiter's cloud tops on Apr. 15 that the area is twice as large in latitude and three times as large in longitude as the initial location, and can last for a long time.
Astronomers Describe What Clyde's Spot Is
Clyde Foster of Centurion, South Africa discovered "Clyde's Spot" using his own 14-inch-telescope in 2020. That was during the time Juno provided extensive knowledge about Jupiter's storm.
The spot consists of a plume of cloud debris erupting above the Jovian atmosphere's upper cloud layers. In this latitude unit, known as the South Temperate Belt, strong convective "outbreaks" occur occasionally.
NASA laid out the said characteristics. The space agency made contrasting representations to illustrate how it differs from Jupiter's most iconic attribute, the Great Red Spot.
"Many features in Jupiter's highly dynamic atmosphere are short-lived, but the April 2021 observation from the JunoCam instrument (lower image) revealed that nearly one year after its discovery, the remnant of Clyde's Spot had not only drifted away from the Great Red Spot but had also developed into a complex structure," NASA said in a statement posted on its website.
Many storms can't be seen for a long time since the massive planet is said to be home to mysterious shapes in the atmosphere. However, Clyde's Spot is an exception.
Apart from Clyde's Spot, the Great Red Spot is one of the Jupiter's most fascinating features. Scientists used data from the Juno mission to estimate that the storm's origin reach at least 320 kilometers into Jupiter's atmosphere. On Earth, a normal tropical cyclone only stretches for around 15 kilometers.
Clyde's Spot: Juno Shows Difference A Year After
According to CNET, Juno produced a striking difference from the much smaller Clyde's Spot after a year. The features even looked like it was speeding away from the massive Red Spot.
Juno's conclusion regarding Clyde's Position in 2020 was that it has a lightweight appearance. The probe discovered unusual swirls on its surface a year later, which resembled the hushing pattern in the water.
Kevin Gill was able to increase the accuracy of the photographs using the data collected by Juno, allowing the team to spot the constant changes in the new location.
Juno's goal will last until 2025, but it will be many years before it comes to an end. Clyde's Spot is only one of Juno's many discoveries, proving that Jupiter's allure is something that everybody can see.
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