Polar cyclones on Jupiter create a spellbinding vortex cluster

[Judi Lynn]

By Mindy Weisberger - Senior Writer 6 hours ago

NASA's Juno mission presents a new spin on the massive gas giant's surface.



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Polar cyclones on Jupiter create a spellbinding vortex cluster
By Mindy Weisberger - Senior Writer 6 hours ago

NASA's Juno mission presents a new spin on the massive gas giant's surface.






In this animated GIF, the clouds on the periphery of some of Jupiter's polar cyclones rotate counterclockwise, while the core of the cyclones rotate clockwise. Citizen scientist Gerald Eichstädt processed the images to enhance the color and contrast.
In this animated GIF, the clouds on the periphery of some of Jupiter's polar cyclones rotate counterclockwise, while the core of the cyclones rotate clockwise. Citizen scientist Gerald Eichstädt processed the images to enhance the color and contrast.
(Image: © Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS. Image processing: Gerald Eichstädt)

Jupiter's north pole is a swirling mass of cyclones, and their mesmerizing dance was recently captured in astonishing detail in images from JunoCam, the visible light camera/telescope on NASA's Juno orbiter.

The Juno mission, launched on Aug. 5, 2011, has been collecting data on Jupiter since 2016. Juno recently completed its 29th orbit of the gas giant, and its scientific instruments are revealing clues about Jupiter's cyclone clusters.

They are also providing a glimpse into atmospheric zones that are warmer and drier than surrounding areas. These atmospheric hot spots fuel discharges of electricity and shape the formation of "mushballs" — slushy hailstones made of ammonia and water at high altitudes, Juno scientists said on Dec. 11 at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The researchers presented Juno's latest findings at the conference, held virtually this year.

Two of Jupiter's big northern cyclones are visible in a new animation of JunoCam photos, created from five images taken from altitudes of about 18,000 miles (28,567 kilometers) above Jupiter's cloud cover. The outer clouds in the cyclones are rotating counterclockwise, but the inner clouds rotate clockwise, which is "rather strange," Candice Hansen, developer of the JunoCam and a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, said at the conference.

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[WhiteTara]

1. They look like impressionist flowers

but I bet they are the most intense storms that can't be withstood.

[electric_blue68]

2. 👍 Reminds me of Zooming In he Mandelbrot Set 💖