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Jupiter just got a new set of headshots. A fresh round of images from the Hubble telescope depicts the colossal gas giant in remarkable clarity, along with its famous red blemish.
Though much remains unknown about the fifth planet from the sun, photos and a brief video clip published by NASA on Thursday could help scientists inch toward unlocking the world’s mysteries.
Among the unanswered questions is Jupiter’s great red spot, perhaps the best known “landmark” on the planet’s highly volatile surface atmosphere. While the spot – an ancient, gargantuan storm – can alone still swallow up to three Earth-sized planets, since the 1800s scientists and stargazers have watched the spot shrink in size; nobody is quite sure why.
A global map of Jupiter. © NASA
Unlike Earth’s solar-powered atmosphere, Jupiter’s chaotic weather system is driven from blistering temperatures from within its gaseous core, churning a brilliant swirl of colorful gasses on the planet’s surface. Understanding Jupiter’s climate is a long-term goal for astronomers.
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However, “attempting to understand the forces driving Jupiter’s atmosphere is like trying to predict the pattern cream will make when it is poured into a hot cup of coffee,” according to the press release that accompanied the new images – meaning there is still much work to be done.
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