Caption: A collage of
a full Jupiter in
visible light
(true color, but maybe enhanced)
and
an
auroral oval (AKA auroral ring)
in ultraviolet
(false color, of course).
Features:
- One can see the dramatic
band structure
of Jupiter.
- The Great Red Spot
is giant anticyclonic storm.
It's longest dimension is about 3 times the Earth's
diameter---i.e.,
∼ 40,000 kilometres west to east
(see Wikipedia: Great Red Spot: Structure).
The Great Red Spot
may have existed in the 17th century, but has
certainly been identified and observed continuously since
1830.
- There are also three obvious
white ovals,
south of the Great Red Spot, which are smaller
anticyclonic storms
(Wikipedia: Atmosphere of Jupiter:
vortices).
- The huge nature of Jupiter is a main
ingredient in causing
weather features to be so enduring by comparison to Earth.???
- Wikimedia Commons Caption:
"2016 Jun30:
Astronomers are using
NASA's
Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
to study auroras---stunning light shows
in a planetary atmosphere---on
the poles
of the largest planet in the
Solar System,
Jupiter. The
auroras were photographed during
a series of
Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS)
far-ultraviolet observations
taking place as NASA's
Juno spacecraft approaches and enters
into orbit around
Jupiter.
The aim of the program is to determine how Jupiter's
auroras respond to changing conditions
in the solar wind,
a stream of charged particles
(a stream of plasma
consisting mostly of
electrons,
protons,
and alpha paricles (He-4 nuclei))
emitted from the Sun.
Auroras are formed when
charged particles in the
space surrounding the
planet are accelerated to
high energies along
the planet's
magnetosphere:
i.e., the Jovian magnetosphere.
When the charged particles
hit the Jovian atmosphere
near the
planetary magnetic poles,
they cause it to glow like gases
in a fluorescent lamp.
The Jovian magnetosphere
is 20,000 times stronger than
Earth's magnetosphere.
These observations will reveal how the Solar System's
largest and most powerful magnetosphere
behaves."
(Slightly edited.)
Credit/Permission:
NASA /
ESA /
Jonathan Nichols,
2016
(uploaded to Wikimedia Commons
by User:ThiefOfBagdad,
2016) /
Public domain.
Download site: Hubblesite:
Auroras on Jupiter.
Image link: Wikimedia Commons:
File:Hubble Captures Vivid Auroras in Jupiter's Atmosphere.jpg.
Local file: local link: jupiter_full_aurora.html.
File: Jupiter file:
jupiter/jupiter_full_aurora.html.