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Credit & Copyright: JL Dauvergne;
Music: Oro Aqua (Benoit Reeves)
Explanation:
Observe the graceful twirl of our Solar System's largest planet.
Many interesting features of
Jupiter's enigmatic atmosphere, including
dark belts and light zones, can be followed in detail.
A careful inspection will reveal that different cloud layers rotate
at slightly different speeds.
The famous Great Red Spot is not visible at first
-- but soon rotates into view.
Other smaller storm systems occasionally appear.
As large as Jupiter is, it rotates in only 10 hours.
Our small Earth, by comparison, takes 24 hours to complete a
spin cycle.
The featured high-resolution time-lapse video was
captured over five nights earlier this month by a
mid-sized telescope on an apartment balcony in
Paris,
France.
Since
hydrogen and
helium gas are colorless, and those
elements compose most of Jupiter's expansive
atmosphere, what trace elements create the observed
colors of Jupiter's clouds remains a topic of research.
Discovery + Outreach:
Graduate student research position open for APOD
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Jupiter - rotation
Publications with words: Jupiter - rotation
See also: