Juno Spacecraft Captures First Images Of Jupiter’s North Pole, Reveals Unexpected Weather System

The first set of images captured by NASA's Juno spacecraft has revealed unique details about Jupiter's North Pole. The photographs show weather activities and storm systems that have never been observed by scientists in any of the other giant gaseous planets in the Solar System. The images were taken by Juno as it flew 2,500 miles above Jupiter's cloud tops during close flyby series on August 27.

A whole new world. My 1st glimpse of #Jupiter’s north pole looks unlike anything seen before https://t.co/OODrfqlCag pic.twitter.com/ghTlibdxaV

— NASA's Juno Mission (@NASAJuno) September 2, 2016

"It's bluer in color up there than other parts of the planet, and there are a lot of storms. There is no sign of the latitudinal bands or zone and belts that we are used to. This image is hardly recognizable as Jupiter," said Scott Bolton, chief investigator from San Antonio's Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The researching team of scientists noticed that the photographs did not show any hint of the marbling effect that Jupiter is associated with. The infrared views of the largest known planet in the Solar System also showed hot and warm spots, the likes of which have never been seen before. The researching team of astronomers also feels that the intricately detailed images will help in obtaining more information about Jupiter's southern aurora as well as its dynamics and morphology.

Hot stuff. During #Jupiter approach, I captured the planet’s glow in infrared light https://t.co/mVWrzSlV9o pic.twitter.com/9kaRIl2k9n — NASA's Juno Mission (@NASAJuno) September 2, 2016

Incidentally, the Juno spacecraft was launched on August 5 from Florida's Cape Canaveral, and reached Jupiter on July 4 this year after a journey of nearly five years. The spacecraft is fitted with the JunoCam as well as eight other science instruments that include the Italian Space Agency's Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JI-RAM). JI-RAM takes high definition photos of the planet in infrared which allow scientists to get a deeper insight about the planet. The information relayed back to Earth by Juno will enable the researchers to know more not only about the structure and composition of Jupiter but also help in throwing more light on the evolution of planetary systems.

Soarin' over #Jupiter. My 1st up-close look of the gas-giant world was a success! https://t.co/5DghesSgvY pic.twitter.com/BTbhOD8rJy — NASA's Juno Mission (@NASAJuno) August 27, 2016