The James Webb space telescope continues to observe distant galaxies. It also allows observing planets close to home in the Solar System. Last year, James Webb captured a stunning image of Jupiter seen in infrared wavelengths. Scientists working on this data caught some clues about the planet, including a brand new feature they identified in its atmosphere.
The James Webb Space Telescope discovered a jet stream around Jupiter’s equator at 320 miles per hour!
Legendary images of Jupiter have arrived from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera). These images reveal striking details of the majestic planet in infrared light. In these images, researchers recently discovered a narrow jet stream traveling at 320 miles per hour (515 kilometers per hour) above Jupiter’s equator, above the main cloud layers.
Jupiter’s atmosphere is a turbulent zone with epic storms like the famous Great Red Spot, which spans 200 miles across. Researchers noticed a new feature here. They discovered a high-speed jet stream that is 3,000 miles wide and located above the planet’s equator. This jet stream is located high in the atmosphere, above the main cloud layer. It was also observed in data taken with Webb’s NIRCam device.
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Lead researcher Ricardo Hueso from Spain’s University of the Basque Country said in a statement:This is something that completely surprised us. These are actually the details that we always see as blurry hazes in Jupiter’s atmosphere. “Now the rapid rotation of the planet is emerging as clear features that we can follow.” said.
Webb’s near-infrared instruments are ideal for peering into the upper layers of Jupiter’s atmosphere. It’s also sensitive enough to turn blurry hazes into clearer details. Researchers calculated the speed of the jet stream by tracking the movement of small clouds. This jet stream is moving at 320 miles per hour. In short, this jet stream is about 2 times faster than a strong hurricane.
Researchers will continue to monitor the speed of the jet stream for the next few years. Thus, researchers will examine a link between wind and temperature patterns seen in the planet’s stratosphere above the equator.