NASA shares incredible new pictures of stormy weather on Jupiter

15 March 2024 , 14:27

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Hubble image of Jupiter's storm activity (Image: NASA/ESA/STScI/Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC))

Incredible new pictures show the stormy weather on Jupiter.

The images, captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope on January 5 and 6, 2024, provide a view of both hemispheres of the planet. The space agency said Thursday (March 14) that the visuals feature the largest planet in the Solar System "in all its banded glory". One image depicts the 'Great Red Spot,' the Solar System's largest storm with a size massive enough to swallow the Earth.

NASA explain that Hubble monitors Jupiter and the other outer solar system planets every year under the Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy program (OPAL). OPAL focuses on long-term observations of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune to monitor and understand changes in their atmospheres, including variations in weather patterns, cloud formations, and other atmospheric phenomena.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope imaged both sides of the giant planet Jupiter (NASA/ESA/STScI/Amy Simon (NASA-GSFC))

"This is because these large worlds are shrouded in clouds and hazes stirred up by violent winds, causing a kaleidoscope of ever-changing weather patterns," NASA add.

Rom Preston-Ellis