NASA has taken a fresh new look at the second-largest object in our solar system, Jupiter, with the aid of the Hubble Space Telescope. Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and despite being named after the Roman king of the gods, Jupiter is commonly known as the Gas Giant. Jupiter is instantly recognisable for its colourful and swirling cloud features that appear to cover the planet in layers. But the most well-known feature of Jupiter is the Great Red Spot – the largest known storm in the solar system.
NASA said: “Jupiter is the king of the solar system, more massive than all of the other solar system planets combined.
“Although astronomers have been observing the gas giant planet for hundreds of years, it still remains a mysterious world.
“Astronomers don’t have definitive answers, for example, why cloud bands and storms change colours or why storms shrink in size.”
The Great Red Spot has been the planet’s most long-lasting feature.
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Regardless, the Jupiter storm is still large enough to swallow our planet whole.
According to NASA, the Great Red Spot is “anchored in roiling atmosphere” that receives heat from deep inside of the planet.
The heating from Jupiter’s interior is what drives the planet’s iconic turbulent features.
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On Earth, the atmosphere is largely powered by the power of the Sun.
NASA said: “From Jupiter, however, the Sun is much fainter because the planet is much farther away from it.
“Jupiter’s upper atmosphere is a riot of colourful clouds, contained in bands that whisk along at different wind speeds and in alternating directions.
“Dynamic features such as cyclones and anticyclones – high -pressure storms that rotate counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere – abound.”
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NASA’s latest portraits of Jupiter were snapped on June 27, 2019, when Hubble had a good view of the Great Red Spot.
Compared to past photos of the gas giant, NASA said these new pictures have a “more intense” palette of colours
By studying the various hues and their changes, the space agency hopes to learn more about the planet’s atmosphere.
The bands of colours are all separated by jet winds that reach speeds of 400mph (644kph).