Churning Clouds on Jupiter
Explanation:
Where is Jupiter's ammonia?
Gaseous ammonia was expected to be seen in
Jupiter's
upper atmosphere by the orbiting
Juno spacecraft -- but in many clouds is almost absent.
Recent Juno data, however, gives some clues: some high-level clouds
appear to be home to an unexpected type of electrical discharge dubbed
shallow lightning.
Great charge separations are needed for
lightning,
which might be created by colliding mushballs lifted by rising updrafts of gas.
Ammonia and water stick to these
mushballs
which rise until they get too heavy -- after which they
fall deep into
Jupiter's atmosphere
and melt.
By this process, ammonia found missing from
Jupiter's upper atmosphere reappears below.
Pictured by Juno,
churning clouds on Jupiter show not only mesmerizing complexity but some high-level,
light-colored pop-up clouds.
Understanding atmospheric dynamics on Jupiter
gives valuable perspective to similar atmospheric and
lightning phenomena that occur on our home Earth.
Peaking Tonight:
The
Perseid Meteor Shower
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.
