They measure strong winds of up to 1,450 kilometers per hour on Jupiter | Science and Ecology

An international team of astronomers measured the winds of Jupiter’s middle atmosphere for the first time and revealed the release of some tremendous energy near its poles, at speeds of up to 1,450 kilometers per hour, as reported on Thursday (03.18.2021) in a statement issued by the European Southern Observatory ( ESO).

“These winds can represent a unique monster in our solar system,” explained the researchers, who used ESO facilities in Atacama (northern Chile).

It is impossible to measure wind speed in Jupiter’s stratosphere using cloud-tracking technology, due to the absence of clouds in this part of the atmosphere.

For this reason, astronomers on the mission tracked down one of the particles that arose from the collision between comet Shoemaker Levi 9 and the gas giant in 1994, the atoms that have been moving with the wind since then.

“The most impressive result is the presence of strong winds, at speeds of up to 400 meters per second, under the aurora near the poles,” said the director of the mission, Thibault Cavalli.

These wind speeds, which are equivalent to about 1,450 kilometers per hour, are more than twice the maximum storm speeds reached in the Great Red Spot of Jupiter and more than three times the wind speeds measured in the most powerful hurricanes on Earth.

“Our discovery indicates that these wind jets can behave like a giant vortex four times the diameter of the Earth and a height of about 900 km,” said co-author Bilal Panamahi.

Astronomers were aware of strong winds near Jupiter’s poles, but in a much higher portion of the atmosphere, hundreds of kilometers above the focus of the new study.

These results open a new window for studying the regions of Jupiter that have auroras, and they also paved the way for similar but more comprehensive measurements using Jupiter’s Ice Moon Explorer (Jupiter’s Ice Moon Explorer) from the European Space Agency, which is expected to launch into space next year.

JU (efe, aanda.org, eurekalert.org, eso.org)

Celestial conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn

Planetary conjugation for Christmas

On December 21st, a few days before the Christmas party, Jupiter and Saturn will feel very close to each other. So much so, that the human eye might think it is a double planet, even though it is in reality at a great distance.

Celestial conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn

Closer and closer

This photo is dated December 17th and was taken in Antalya, Turkey. Jupiter (lower right) and Saturn (upper right) are both very well recognized. Both planets have been seen together in the night sky for several months.

Celestial conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn

Systematic approach

Jupiter and Saturn orbit the sun at different speeds. On average every two decades, Jupiter beats Saturn in this race. The last time was May 31, 2000.

Celestial conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn

Jupiter

It takes 12 years for Jupiter to circle the Sun once. It is the largest planet in our solar system, with a diameter of 142,984 at the equator. Its mass is two and a half times greater than all the other planets in our solar system.

Celestial conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn

Saturn

Saturn, for its part, is in no hurry: it takes 30 years to circle the sun. It is the second largest planet in our solar system and the sixth farthest from the sun. Its defining feature is the ring of ice and stone that surrounds it. Although Jupiter also has rings, they are not very clear.

Celestial conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn

Scarcity

If the sky is clear tonight, you should not miss this opportunity. The last time this planetary rapprochement occurred in 1623 and the next time it would be on March 15, 2080.

Author: Hanna Fox