The Hubble Space Telescope of NASA has offered a new ultraviolet perspective of Jupiter. Credits: NASA, ESA, and M. Wong (University of California – Berkeley); Processing: Gladys Kober (NASA/Catholic University of America)
Providing a fresh ultraviolet perspective during its opposition phase, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope uncovers Jupiter’s features like the Great Red Spot, using false-color to emphasize aspects that are typically invisible to the naked eye.
The Hubble Space Telescope from NASA has produced a composite ultraviolet color image of Jupiter, coinciding with the event of the planet’s opposition, where it is positioned directly opposite the Sun in our sky. The image prominently displays the colossal storm known as the “Great Red Spot.”
In visible light, this storm is known for its striking red hue, yet in the ultraviolet spectrum showcased by the image, it takes on a darker shade. This is due to the absorption of ultraviolet light by haze particles situated at high altitudes. The polar hazes appear with a reddish tint and absorb less ultraviolet light, which may be attributed to variances in particle size, composition, or altitude.
Exploration of Jupiter by Hubble
This ultraviolet image is a product of a Hubble project that focuses on Jupiter’s enigmatic storm systems. Using the data from Hubble, the researchers aim to delineate the deep water clouds and develop three-dimensional models of cloud formations within Jupiter’s atmosphere.
Hubble’s observations of the outer planets span several decades, providing a detailed survey from events such as the Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collisions to ongoing studies of Jupiter’s meteorological phenomena. Its extensive mission history and unparalleled perspective have afforded astronomers a wealth of data to observe the changes on this turbulent planet.
Understanding Through Ultraviolet
Hubble’s facility to observe in the ultraviolet spectrum enables the study of short, high-energy light waves, which are invisible to the human eye, revealing extraordinary cosmic events. These include emissions from the hottest and youngest stars nestled in nearby galaxies, as well as insights into the properties and dynamics of interstellar matter and the development of galaxies.
Given that ultraviolet light is beyond human vision, the image presented is in false color. This involves assigning visible spectrum colors to the ultraviolet images captured through various filters. The color designation for each filter in this instance is as follows: Blue is represented by F225W, Green by F275W, and Red by F343N.
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Hubble ultraviolet Jupiter
What has the Hubble Space Telescope recently revealed about Jupiter?
The Hubble Space Telescope has provided a new ultraviolet image of Jupiter that highlights the Great Red Spot and other atmospheric features which are not visible to the naked eye.
Why does the Great Red Spot appear different in the ultraviolet image?
In the ultraviolet image, the Great Red Spot appears darker than it does in visible light due to the absorption of ultraviolet light by high altitude haze particles. The wavy polar hazes appear reddish and absorb slightly less ultraviolet light, possibly because of differences in particle size, composition, or altitude.
What is the significance of observing Jupiter in ultraviolet light?
Observing Jupiter in ultraviolet light allows astronomers to detect and study various atmospheric phenomena and characteristics that are not discernible in the visible spectrum. This includes the composition, densities, and temperatures of the atmospheric elements.
How do the ultraviolet images of Jupiter help researchers?
The ultraviolet images captured by Hubble are used by researchers to map deep water clouds and to construct three-dimensional models of the cloud structures within Jupiter’s atmosphere, enhancing our understanding of the planet’s meteorological dynamics.
Why are the colors in the Hubble ultraviolet image of Jupiter not real?
The colors in the ultraviolet image are artificial or false-color because ultraviolet light is not visible to the human eye. Visible light spectrum colors are assigned to different ultraviolet wavelengths to create a composite image that can be interpreted by scientists.
More about Hubble ultraviolet Jupiter
- NASA Hubble Space Telescope
- ESA Hubble Information Centre
- University of California – Berkeley Astronomy Department
- NASA’s Planetary Science Division
- The Catholic University of America – Physics Department
5 comments
hubble does it again huh! turning invisible things into crazy colors, that’s pretty neat gotta admit, science is awesome
didn’t they say the great red spot is shrinking or something, wonder if this new UV image gives any clues about that, gotta look up close later
so we’re assigning colors to things we can’t see now…uh okay guess we are just making up stuff as we go, science right
i mean, do we really need another picture of Jupiter, we got plenty already, but those science guys seem to get excited bout every pixel change
wow just saw the new ultraviolet image of Jupiter from Hubble it’s crazy how different it looks, like how does that even work