Space
Jupiter On Fire? Telescope Image Shows Giant Planet In Flames
Sam D
First Posted: Jul 02, 2016 04:13 AM EDT
Chile's Very Large Telescope (VLT) has recently captured spectacular infrared images of Jupiter, with its Large Telescope Imager and Spectrometer for mid-Infrared (VISIR) instrument. The detailed photos taken with the ground based telescope reportedly revealed infrared radiation spilling out through the cloud tops of Jupiter, making the planet look like it was on fire.
According to a report, it is not an easy task taking such high resolution images of Jupiter from ground. The photos were taken by a procedure called lucky imaging and, out of the thousands of frames captured by VISIR, the images least affected by the blurry impact of our planet's atmosphere were combined to create the final image that we can see.
The idea behind capturing the new images was to make high resolution maps of the gas giant's complex atmosphere. The process saw the use of various telescopes based in Chile and Hawaii, coupled with contributions made by amateur astronomers all over the globe. "Together with the new results from Juno, the VISIR dataset in particular will allow researchers to characterize Jupiter's global thermal structure, cloud cover and distribution of gaseous species," said Glenn Orton, lead scientist of the ground based campaign which will also further the cause of the Juno probe, by setting the stage for what the spacecraft will witness in the coming days. In addition, scientists feel that observation made at different wavelengths across the infrared spectrum pieces together a three dimensional picture, which shows how material and energy are reached upwards via the atmosphere.
Incidentally, the Juno mission has reached the last leg of its journey to Jupiter and is quite close to the gaseous planet. In fact it is the only spacecraft to get this close to Jupiter, and as per a NASA, Juno will be arriving at the planet on July 4, coinciding with American Independence Day.
See Now:
NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone
TagsJupiter, Juno Spacecraft ©2024 ScienceWorldReport.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The window to the world of science news.
More on SCIENCEwr
First Posted: Jul 02, 2016 04:13 AM EDT
Chile's Very Large Telescope (VLT) has recently captured spectacular infrared images of Jupiter, with its Large Telescope Imager and Spectrometer for mid-Infrared (VISIR) instrument. The detailed photos taken with the ground based telescope reportedly revealed infrared radiation spilling out through the cloud tops of Jupiter, making the planet look like it was on fire.
According to a report, it is not an easy task taking such high resolution images of Jupiter from ground. The photos were taken by a procedure called lucky imaging and, out of the thousands of frames captured by VISIR, the images least affected by the blurry impact of our planet's atmosphere were combined to create the final image that we can see.
The idea behind capturing the new images was to make high resolution maps of the gas giant's complex atmosphere. The process saw the use of various telescopes based in Chile and Hawaii, coupled with contributions made by amateur astronomers all over the globe. "Together with the new results from Juno, the VISIR dataset in particular will allow researchers to characterize Jupiter's global thermal structure, cloud cover and distribution of gaseous species," said Glenn Orton, lead scientist of the ground based campaign which will also further the cause of the Juno probe, by setting the stage for what the spacecraft will witness in the coming days. In addition, scientists feel that observation made at different wavelengths across the infrared spectrum pieces together a three dimensional picture, which shows how material and energy are reached upwards via the atmosphere.
Incidentally, the Juno mission has reached the last leg of its journey to Jupiter and is quite close to the gaseous planet. In fact it is the only spacecraft to get this close to Jupiter, and as per a NASA, Juno will be arriving at the planet on July 4, coinciding with American Independence Day.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone