A recent study has revealed exciting new insights into the clouds of Jupiter, challenging previous ideas about their makeup and behavior. For years, scientists believed the clouds on Jupiter were made of ammonia ice.
However, new findings suggest that these clouds are likely made of ammonium hydrosulphide and a mixture of smog, not ammonia ice as once thought. This discovery has opened up a new chapter in our understanding of Jupiter's atmosphere.
Amateur Astronomer Upends Jupiter Cloud Composition
The breakthrough began with an unexpected collaboration between amateur and professional astronomers.
Dr. Steven Hill, an amateur astronomer from Colorado, was able to map ammonia in Jupiter's atmosphere using simple, commercially available telescopes and specialized filters.
His observations showed that the ammonia levels and cloud-top pressure on Jupiter were inconsistent with the idea of ammonia ice clouds.
Instead, they suggested that the clouds were much deeper in the atmosphere, in a region too warm for ammonia to condense into ice.
Building on Dr. Hill's findings, Professor Patrick Irwin from the University of Oxford and his team used the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) instrument at the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile to study Jupiter's clouds in more detail, PhysOrg said.
The team used spectroscopy, a technique that analyzes how light interacts with gases in Jupiter's atmosphere, to map ammonia levels and cloud heights.
Their work confirmed that the primary clouds, visible from Earth through telescopes, are much deeper than previously thought and exist in a warmer, higher-pressure part of Jupiter's atmosphere.
The study found that instead of ammonia ice, the clouds are likely composed of ammonium hydrosulphide, a compound that can form at higher temperatures. This result was consistent with earlier findings from MUSE, but Dr. Hill's simpler technique made it easier for others to verify the results.
The simplicity and low cost of this method mean that amateur astronomers could continue to contribute valuable data, helping track ammonia variations and weather patterns across Jupiter's atmosphere.
Sunlight Breakdown Stops Ammonia from Forming Thick Clouds on Jupiter
So why can't ammonia form thick clouds? The answer lies in photochemistry, the process by which sunlight causes chemical reactions in the atmosphere.
On Jupiter, photochemistry is so active that it breaks down ammonia faster than it can form into clouds.
According to the Department of Physics, this results in the clouds being mixed with photochemical products, creating the red and brown colors we often see in Jupiter's images.
Interestingly, in certain areas of Jupiter, especially where strong updrafts occur, ammonia ice can form. These small, high clouds have been observed by spacecraft such as NASA's Galileo and Juno missions.
The research has also been applied to Saturn, where similar processes appear to occur. This discovery could be a game-changer in understanding not only Jupiter but also the atmospheres of other gas giants in our solar system.
Through this innovative collaboration between amateur and professional scientists, our understanding of Jupiter's clouds has been greatly enhanced, offering a new perspective on how these giant planets' atmospheres work.
