Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS
NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured this detailed look at Jupiter’s most recognizable feature, the Great Red Spot.
Data from Juno’s instruments indicate this giant, long-lived vortex extends far deeper into Jupiter’s atmosphere than scientists previously expected, to about 300 miles (500 kilometers) below the cloud tops. The surprising discovery demonstrates that the Great Red Spot and other vortices descend below the depth where sunlight warms the atmosphere, providing new clues about the inner workings of the planet’s beautiful but violent atmosphere.
