Jupiter: Moon, Ring, and Clouds
Credit & Copyright: R. Beebe (NMSU),
NASA
Explanation:
An inner moon,
an edge-on, planet-girdling ring,
and high altitude cloud bands are
visible in this mosaic of infrared images of
gas giant Jupiter.
The
moon Metis, 25 miles wide and about 80,000 miles from the planet,
is the bright spot at the upper right. Metis lies within
Jupiter's faint,
tenuous ring,
and may be a source of ring material.
Recorded on September 17th by the
NICMOS instrument on board
the Hubble Space Telescope,
these pictures also emphasize
atmospheric features high above the main
jovian cloud deck.
Methane gas in
Jupiter's atmosphere
absorbs the near infrared light causing deeper clouds to appear dark
at these wavelengths.
Clouds riding above most of the atmospheric methane are bright.
The circular dark spot just above the brightest cloud band
is an image artifact.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
