The Galileo probe that flew over Jupiter from 1995 to 2003 was the first to reach Jupiter. The data it has sent back has led to new discoveries. While its primary mission was intended to only last until 2018, a mission extension means that it will continue to fly around Jupiter until at least 2025.
A group of citizen scientists led by mathematician and software developer Gerald Eichstdt used images taken by the probe to create a 3D animation of Jupiter's upper atmosphere. The relative heights of the cloud tops of Jupiter are shown in the animation presented at the Europlanet Science Congress. The potential for citizen science and public engagement with today's missions was shown by the work of Eichstdt.
The initial plan was to increase public engagement by taking raw images that can be seen in a public gallery. citizen scientists can download the images, process them, upload the finished creations, and share them with the world In this case, a worldwide team of citizen scientists, working closely with professional astronomer and the Juno team, demonstrated that the data could be utilized to create stunning visuals and valuable science.
“The Juno mission provides us with an opportunity to observe Jupiter in a way which is essentially inaccessible by Earth-based telescopic observations. We can look at the same cloud features from very different angles within only a few minutes. This has opened up a new opportunity to derive 3D elevation models of Jupiter’s cloud tops. The images of the wonderful chaotic storms on Jupiter seem to come to life, showing clouds rising at different altitudes.”
The animation was created during the 43rd close flyby of Jupiter, which took place on July 5, 2022, when the probe was at a nominal altitude of 13,533 km above Jupiter. The swirling cloud formations near the planet's north pole and hundreds of km in diameter were revealed in these visible-light pictures. The video above shows a close-up view of the images.
Clouds in the upper layers are the most intense in Jupiter. More light is absorbed by clouds that are deeper in the atmosphere. The team analyzed how sunlight is reflected and scattered by different parts of the atmosphere and created a 3D representation of the cloud tops. Scientists will be able to understand the composition of the pillars by measuring the relative heights. It was said by Eichsttd.
The clouds are expected to be made of different chemical species from top to bottom. We will test the theoretical predictions and have a better 3D picture of the chemical composition once we calibrate our data.
The Europlanet society is further reading.
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