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Reveal what was previously invisible.
Bored to the floors
The incredible James Webb Space Telescope has been used to image the farthest reaches of the universe. But in a change of pace, astronomers have used its incredible power on a target much closer to Earth: the mighty planet Jupiter — and in doing so, they’ve discovered mysterious features and structures on the gas giant that have never been seen before. Not to mention the incredible fidelity of the James Webb.
As detailed in A Stady Published in the magazine natural astronomy, Scientists have spotted a region of atmosphere hovering over Jupiter’s famous Great Red Spot, a storm so massive it could swallow Earth and the largest in the solar system.
Despite its enormous dimensions, this part of the atmosphere has been ignored by astronomers, who previously described it as uninteresting. Now, they are happy to admit that they were completely wrong.
“We thought, perhaps naively, that this area would be really boring,” said Henrik Melin, lead author of the study from the University of Leicester. statement About the work. “It’s actually as interesting as the northern lights, if not more interesting,” he added. “Jupiter never ceases to amaze.”
glow up
Those lights that Mellin pointed out illuminate Jupiter’s north and south poles and can be easily seen. But there is a more subtle glow hiding within the upper atmosphere that has proven difficult for ground-based telescopes to spot. He may not be as flashy, but his elusiveness is his own appeal.
Fortunately, the James Webb Telescope has a unique ability to deal with this problem. It orbits in the clear space around the sun, and is equipped with advanced infrared sensors, such as the Near Infrared Spectroradiometer (NIRSPEC), which can detect the secrets emanating from even the faintest light sources.
For example, researchers found all kinds of anomalies lurking in observations taken in July 2022, including those observed by the European Space Agency. described like Complex structures“Dark arcs” and “bright spots”.
Sandwich area
Because Jupiter’s upper atmosphere forms the boundary between Jupiter’s lower atmosphere and its powerful magnetic field, it hosts amazing energy interactions. The northern and southern lights are thought to be caused by volcanic material ejected onto its moon Io.
But researchers suspect that something else entirely is causing the glow above the Great Red Spot: strong gravitational interactions rarely seen on Earth.
“One way you can change this structure is with gravity waves, which are like waves crashing on a beach, creating ripples in the sand,” Henrik said. “These waves are generated deep in the turbulent lower atmosphere, all around the Great Red Spot, and can travel up, changing the structure and emissions of the upper atmosphere.”
Through continued observation, astronomers hope to be able to reveal how these waves travel through Jupiter’s atmosphere.
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