Jupiter is thought of as an orangey brown color with its distinctive colored features like the Great Red Spot. NASA has shared an image of Jupiter that shows the planet in two different colors. There is the planet as the human eye sees it, in shades of brown and green. There is a saturated version that shows off the details of the cloud formations in bright colors.

The images were processed by a citizen scientist named Bjrn Jnsson who shared his work with the public.

NASA’s Juno spacecraft observed the complex colors and structure of Jupiter’s clouds as it completed its 43rd close flyby of the giant planet on July 5, 2022. Citizen scientist Björn Jónsson created these two images using raw data from the JunoCam instrument aboard the spacecraft. At the time the raw image was taken, Juno was about 3,300 miles (5,300 kilometers) above Jupiter’s cloud tops, at a latitude of about 50 degrees. North is up. At that moment, the spacecraft was traveling at about 130,000 mph (209,000 kilometers per hour) relative to the planet.
NASA’s Juno spacecraft observed the complex colors and structure of Jupiter’s clouds as it completed its 43rd close flyby of the giant planet on July 5, 2022. Citizen scientist Björn Jónsson created these two images using raw data from the JunoCam instrument aboard the spacecraft. At the time the raw image was taken, Juno was about 3,300 miles (5,300 kilometers) above Jupiter’s cloud tops, at a latitude of about 50 degrees. North is up. At that moment, the spacecraft was traveling at about 130,000 mph (209,000 kilometers per hour) relative to the planet. Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS Image processing by Björn Jónsson © CC NC SA

The process of turning observations into an image involves a lot of decisions about color, contrast, and balance, which affect how the final image turns out. The image of Jupiter on the left can be processed to make it as close to what we would see if we traveled to the object. You can see cloud shapes in sharper detail in the image of Jupiter on the right, if you turn up the saturation and contrast.

In the more saturated image, you can see features of Jupiter's atmosphere like its deep swirling vortices, and the different colors can help to pick out different chemicals in the atmosphere.

Members of the public are encouraged to try their hand at processing the data for themselves because it is publicly available on the mission's website. You can see more of Jnsson's stunning images while you are there.

There is a recommended video.

Great Red Spotscientist Björn JónssonJupiterimage
Related News
Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs prevail against Buffalo Bills, win wild AFC divisional game in overtime
Popular on TVN
Stay In Touch

All Rights Reserved © 2024