One particular of the greatest mysteries of Jupiter was that the stripes that had been visible on its surface generally shifted and changed. Now, scientists think they have figured out why.
An image of Jupiter, with Ganymede’s shadow on it, taken by NASA’s Juno mission/ (Image credit: NASA)Listen to this post
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Most pictures of Jupiter prominently function quite a few of the gas giant’s characteristic stripes. Apart from its giant red dot, 1 of the most fascinating options of the planet’s surface is that these stripes at times move and transform, which scientists have not been in a position to clarify till now.
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But now, thanks to a new discovery which was produced in aspect due to new facts about Jupiter’s magnetic field, researchers consider they have an explanation for why it takes place, according to the University of Leeds.
“If you appear at Jupiter by way of a telescope, you see the stripes, which go round the equator along the lines of latitude. There are dark and light belts that take place, and if you appear a tiny bit additional closely, you can see clouds zipping about carried by extraordinarily powerful easterly and westerly winds. Close to the equator, the wind blows eastward but as you transform latitude a bit, either north or south, it goes westward. And then if you move a tiny bit additional away it goes eastward once more. This alternating pattern of eastward and westward winds is fairly diverse from climate on Earth,” stated Chris Jones, co-author of a study on the topic, in a press statement.
Every single 4 of 5 years, items transform on the planet, according to Jones. Often, the colours of the belts can transform, and scientists have at times observed international upheavals in the climate patterns. Why this takes place has largely remained a mystery.
There is currently proof that points to this transform in look becoming linked to infrared variations about 50 kilometres under Jupiter’s surface. But the new study by Jones and other people shows that these variations could be brought on by waves made by the gas giant’s magnetic field, deep inside the planet’s interior.
The researchers utilized information gathered by NASA’s Juno mission to the planet and they had been in a position to monitor and calculate alterations in its magnetic field. The researchers identified that the planet’s magnetic field’s oscillations corresponded to the periods of infrared radiation from its gases.
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Very first published on: 26-05-2023 at 17:13 IST