Jupiter Abyss

Jupiter Abyss

Image Credit:
NASA,
Juno,
SwRI,
MSSS;
Processing &
License:
Gerald Eichstädt &
Sean Doran

Explanation:
What’s that black spot on Jupiter?

No one is sure.

During one pass of NASA’s
Juno over
Jupiter,
the robotic spacecraft imaged an
usually dark cloud feature informally dubbed
the Abyss.

Surrounding cloud patterns show
the Abyss to be at the center of
a vortex.

Since dark features on
Jupiter’s atmosphere tend to run deeper than light features,
the Abyss may really be the
deep hole that it appears —
but without more evidence that remains conjecture.

The Abyss is surrounded by a complex of
meandering clouds and other
swirling
storm systems,
some of which are topped by light colored, high-altitude clouds.

The
featured image was captured in 2019 while
Juno passed
only about 15,000 kilometers above Jupiter’s cloud tops.

The
next close pass of Juno near Jupiter will be in about three weeks.