The giant planet Jupiter, in all its banded glory, takes the spotlight in these new images
from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope that capture both sides of the planet.
Big enough to swallow Earth, the classic Great Red Spot storm stands out prominently in Jupiter’s
atmosphere.
To its lower right, at a more southerly latitude, is a feature sometimes dubbed Red Spot Jr.
This giant storm, called an anticyclone, was the result of other storms merging in 1998
and 2000, and it first appeared red in 2006.
The source of its red color is unknown but may involve a range of chemical compounds:
sulfur, phosphorus, or organic material.
Staying in their lanes, but moving in opposite directions, Red Spot Jr. passes the Great
Red Spot about every two years.
Hubble also captured Jupiter's volcanic moon, Io.
Only slightly larger than Earth's moon, Io is the most volcanically active body in the
solar system.
Hubble’s sensitivity to blue and violet wavelengths clearly reveals interesting surface
features.
Hubble monitors Jupiter and the other outer solar system planets every year under the
Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy program, or OPAL.
These large worlds are shrouded in clouds and hazes stirred up by violent winds, causing
a kaleidoscope of ever-changing weather patterns for Hubble to investigate.
Studying the planets in our solar system helps us understand our own weather patterns closer
to home, and allows us to theorize what potential exoplanet weather is like in other star systems
in our universe.
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