NASA Juno probe acquired a spectacular image of Jupiter that revealed 'mocha swirls' of clouds in the gas giant's mid-southern latitudes.
Juno captured the amazing shot during its 36th low pass over Jupiter, which will continue to study Jupiter's atmosphere until 2025.
A massive cyclone stretches 400 kilometers (250 miles) across the circular vortex towards the image's center.
The cyclone's descending winds wipe away the upper-level clouds, revealing some darker material from below, giving it its color.
Space Ref said Brian Swift, a citizen scientist, created this view by digitally projecting a raw JunoCam image onto a sphere. It has been flipped around such that north is now on top.
The original photograph was shot at 7:09 p.m. EDT on September 2, 2021.
First 3D View of Jupiter's Atmosphere Shows the Great Red Spot is Deeper Than Expected, NASA's Juno Reveals
The spacecraft was 16,800 miles (27,000 kilometers) above Jupiter's cloud tops at the time, at a latitude of around 31 degrees south.
According to NASA, Jupiter's well-known stripes and swirls are frigid, windy clouds of ammonia and water floating in an atmosphere of hydrogen and helium.
Jupiter is simply a giant gaseous ball made largely of hydrogen and helium with a few heavier elements thrown in.
The general public can view and process all of JunoCam's raw photos. They are available on the Juno Mission's website.
According to NPR, NASA launched the Juno mission in 2011 from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The spacecraft landed at Jupiter in 2016. In 2019, the spacecraft took a minor detour and traveled twice over the Great Red Spot.
Jupiter Great Red Spot
Last month, NASA scientists discovered that Jupiter's Great Red Spot - a massive storm capable of engulfing the Earth - spreads considerably lower into the planet's cloud tops than previously imagined.
According to Juno data, the enormous storm, albeit diminishing, still has a depth of 350 to 500 kilometers (200 to 300 miles).
With its diameter of 16,000 kilometers (10,000 miles), the Great Red Spot resembles a big pancake in new three-dimensional photographs of the globe provided by the US satellite agency.
According to Scott Bolton of Southwest Research Institute, the mission's chief scientist, there may not be a definite cut-off at the bottom of the storm.
He said via Science Times that the storm probably fades off gradually and keeps going down.
Bolton noted that the Great Red Spot is likely the highest Jovian storm detected so far with Juno's microwave and gravity-mapping capabilities.
At any given time, thousands of storms rage over Jupiter, generating stunning and colorful swirls, plumes, and filaments that appear to cover most of the planet.
Juno will be traveling shortly to monitor the depth of polar cyclones, which might reach even deeper into the clouds.
According to WDSU 6 News, while Juno's primary purpose of orbiting and researching the planet concluded in July 2021, NASA has permitted it to extend its mission, allowing it to continue studying the biggest planet, "including its rings and moons," until the spacecraft's end of life in 2025.
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