NASA'sĀ Juno missionĀ to Jupiter is finding the Jovian giant to beĀ more complicated than expected. Jupiter's magnetic field has beenĀ discovered to beĀ much different from ourĀ Earth's simple dipole field, showingĀ several poles embedded in a complicated networkĀ more convoluted in the north than the south. Further, Juno's radio measurements show thatĀ Jupiter's atmosphereĀ shows structure wellĀ below the upper cloud deckĀ -- even hundreds of kilometers deep.Ā Jupiter'sĀ newfound complexityĀ is evident also in southern clouds, as shown in the texture and color enhancedĀ featured imageĀ taken last month. There, planet-circlingĀ zones and beltsĀ that dominate near the equator decay into aĀ complex miasmaĀ of continent-sized storm swirls.Ā JunoĀ continues in its looping elliptical orbit,Ā swooping near the huge planetĀ every month and exploring a slightly different sector each time around.
Image Credit:Ā NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS; Processing &Ā License:Ā Thomas Thomopoulos
