The James Webb Space Telescope captured new images of Jupiter that revealed previously unseen atmospheric structures and activity above the planet’s Great Red Spot storm.
The structures included dark arcs and bright spots in Jupiter’s upper atmosphere, where it meets the planet’s magnetic field.
Astronomers believe these features are caused by powerful gravity waves propagating through Jupiter’s atmosphere, similar to waves crashing on a beach.
Gravity waves on Jupiter are thought to be more intense than those seen on Earth and are changing the shape and emissions of the upper atmosphere over the Great Red Spot.
Future JWST observations could help scientists better understand how these gravity waves flow through Jupiter’s atmosphere and cause the observed structures to move.
The findings provide new insights into how energy is distributed across Jupiter and will support the ESA’s JUICE mission studying Jupiter’s moons launching in 2023.
The research was published in the journal Nature Astronomy and showed that the atmosphere above the Great Red Spot storm is more dynamic and structured than previously assumed.
Source: Space
