Jupiter’s Giant Storms and High Clouds
Published by Astrosyo
NASA’s Juno spacecraft continues to reveal Jupiter in breathtaking detail.
This post looks closely at one JunoCam image, highlighting the planet’s giant storms
and the high-altitude clouds that cast dramatic shadows on the swirling atmosphere.
Processed JunoCam image of Jupiter’s atmosphere. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS, image processing by Kevin M. Gill (CC BY).
What You’re Seeing
This image shows two of Jupiter’s enormous rotating storms, captured by the visible-light camera aboard NASA’s Juno spacecraft during its 38th orbit on November 29, 2021. Taken from about 6,140 kilometers above Jupiter’s cloud tops, the frame reveals details as fine as four kilometers across.
The bright, “pop-up” clouds in the upper atmosphere stand out as small luminous spots. They rise above the storm layer below and cast dramatic shadows on the cloud bank. While tiny compared to the broader storm system, each of these bright clouds spans about 50 kilometers in diameter.
Why It Matters
Jupiter’s storms are immense laboratories for studying fluid dynamics on a planetary scale. By observing cloud structures at different depths, scientists can infer the processes that drive circulation and storm evolution. Understanding Jupiter’s weather helps refine models of giant planets in our own solar system and those orbiting other stars.
My Notes
The depth and complexity of this image are striking. Swirls within swirls, highlighted by shadow-casting clouds, give a sense of the enormous energy locked inside Jupiter’s atmosphere. It reminds me that these storms, though thousands of kilometers wide, are just everyday weather on the solar system’s largest planet.
Credits
Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS.
Image processing: Kevin M. Gill (CC BY).
Commentary: Astrosyo.