A singular oval and brown band is been identified on the southern equatorial area if Jupiter. The band was already known and existent but any instrument, until now, was able to capture it in a shot from a spacial probe.
The particual characteristic of the planet was captured by the spacial probe Juno of the NASA which was able to capture breathtaking shots. Infact, Jupiter is a planet characterized by alternate clean and dark bands.
Many call Jupiter “the painted planet” because of his areas of different colour, which get it closer to a paint on the canvas of an artist. The image that we have of Jupiter is unique: the planet has a huge quantity of really special shadows, from the clearest colours to the brown and darkest ones.
Where did the Jupiter’s “bands” come from?
The peculiarity of the planet Jupiter, is up to the temperature’s difference. The thermal shock creates gas movements: like we already know, the warmer gas goes up while the colder one goes on the bottom.
The hot gas, which goes up, produces clear clouds, which are the clearest areas of the planet. Instead, the dark areas are up to cold gas’ flowing through the planet. The areas has an oval shape and they go around the whole planet because of the rapid rotation of Jupiter and the thermal gas movements.
Furthermore, the planet has the characteristic to have more shadows of colours because of the chimical reactions due to the solar radiation.
The areas of the planet Jupiter
The planet is divided in many areas: the Equatorial Area, the South Equatorial Band (SEB), The Red Stain, The North Equatorial Band (NEB), The South Tropical Disturbance – STrD, The North Temperate Band (NTB), The South Temperate Band (STB).
Every area has some different characteristics, they can change for size, intensity, bands’ width and position.
Generally, the Equatorial Area and the South Tropical one are really clear areas, the SEB, as well as the NEB is divided in many dark parts separated by clear areas, the Red Stain is the most fascinated Jupiter’s characteristic, the NTB is the less perceptible band but the most particular one because it shows a blue shadow.
The spacial ship Juno of the NASA captures the south equatorial band
The brown bands of the planet Jupiter are cyclones’ regions that usually are inside the north equatorial area of Jupiter (area didn’t exposed to the light). Sometimes the bands can be even in the south equatorial area of the planet, which isn’t lighted too.
Infact, this is the case that we are talking about: the probe Juno of the NASA was able to shot a rare brown band south equatorial. The news is really exciting for the passionated of astronomy because the bands of Jupiter are really hard to see.
The monochrome areas of the planet are almost hidden inside it because of their colour which melts with the Jupiter’s dark environment.
A unique picture of Jupiter
This time the spacecraft Juno was able to immortalize the Jupiter’s dark band giving life to an amazing picture (the image below).
The shot was possible because the dark material of Jupiter was far away for a while, creating a clear background that allows to let stands out the brown area which became so, clear to the NASA spaceship.
This shot is really important because thanks to it, Jupiter gives us the first glimpses of its detailed and particular structure. The shot happened at the 6:26 PDT of the 6th of September of the 2018 which was the 21:26 in Italy, all of this while the spacecraft was following its fifteenth trip close to Jupiter.
The image was then elaborated by the scientists Kevin M. Gill that elaborated and emphasised the datas took by the JunoCam of the probe NASA.
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