Scientists may possibly have figured out why Jupiter’s stripes alter colour

One particular of the greatest mysteries of Jupiter was that the stripes that had been visible on its surface frequently shifted and changed. Now, scientists think they have figured out why.

An image of Jupiter, with Ganymede’s shadow on it, taken by NASA’s Juno mission/ (Image credit: NASA)Listen to this post
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Most photos of Jupiter prominently function a lot of of the gas giant’s characteristic stripes. Apart from its giant red dot, a single of the most fascinating functions of the planet’s surface is that these stripes in some cases move and alter, which scientists have not been in a position to clarify till now.

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But now, thanks to a new discovery which was created in aspect due to new facts about Jupiter’s magnetic field, researchers feel they have an explanation for why it occurs, according to the University of Leeds.

“If you appear at Jupiter by way of a telescope, you see the stripes, which go round the equator along the lines of latitude. There are dark and light belts that take place, and if you appear a small bit additional closely, you can see clouds zipping about carried by extraordinarily sturdy easterly and westerly winds. Close to the equator, the wind blows eastward but as you alter latitude a bit, either north or south, it goes westward. And then if you move a small bit additional away it goes eastward once again. This alternating pattern of eastward and westward winds is rather various from climate on Earth,” stated Chris Jones, co-author of a study on the topic, in a press statement.

Each 4 of 5 years, points alter on the planet, according to Jones. At times, the colours of the belts can alter, and scientists have in some cases observed worldwide upheavals in the climate patterns. Why this occurs has largely remained a mystery.

There is currently proof that points to this alter in look becoming linked to infrared variations about 50 kilometres beneath Jupiter’s surface. But the new investigation by Jones and other folks shows that these variations could be triggered by waves created by the gas giant’s magnetic field, deep inside the planet’s interior.

The researchers applied information gathered by NASA’s Juno mission to the planet and they had been in a position to monitor and calculate adjustments in its magnetic field. The researchers identified that the planet’s magnetic field’s oscillations corresponded to the periods of infrared radiation from its gases.

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Initially published on: 26-05-2023 at 17:13 IST