The James Webb Telescope detected several odd structures, including a bright light, over Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, a 10,000-mile-wide storm that has raged for centuries. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, Jupiter ERS Team, J. Schmidt, H. Melin, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb)
The previously unseen structures are making scientists rethink Jupiter’s atmosphere
Recent observations of Jupiter have revealed a mysterious phenomenon that has left experts puzzled. A new image captured by the James Webb Space Telescope shows bright, unexplained shapes and lights near the gas giant’s iconic 10,000-mile-wide storm, the Great Red Spot.
Scientists involved in the Jupiter Early Release Science (Jupiter ERS) program have been examining the planet since 2022 using the powerful telescope, which is a joint venture between NASA and space agencies in Canada and Europe. The Webb Telescope’s advanced capabilities allow for unprecedented detail in capturing planetary structures, making the discovery of these strange lights even more intriguing.
THE SUN
The telescope, a joint venture between Nasa and space agencies in Canada and Europe, can capture planetary structures with unprecedented accuracy.
Scientists set their sights on the Great Red Spot for a reason. It is the largest storm in the solar system – over 10,000 miles wide – and has been raging for centuries.
Even then, they were shocked to uncover a previously unknown structure above the blustering storm.
“We thought this region, perhaps naively, would be really boring,” team leader Henrik Melin said in a press release.
“It is in fact just as interesting as the northern lights, if not more so. Jupiter never ceases to surprise.”
