NASA has released a breathtaking new image of Jupiter in which the swirling clouds of the planet's atmosphere resemble an oil painting. The photo was taken by the Juno probe in late May as the craft passed over the planet's northern hemisphere.
According to the space agency's website, "the darker cloud material is deeper in Jupiter’s atmosphere, while bright cloud material is high." These latter clouds, NASA says, are probably comprised of ammonia, water, and "unknown chemical ingredients."
They specifically noted the significance of the large oval found at the bottom of the image. In a testament to the scientific insights provided by the probe, NASA explains that this same spot looks "uniformly white" when observed by ground-based telescopes.
However, from the vantage point of 9,600 miles above the planet's atmosphere, where Juno was when the image was taken, astronomers are able to observe a number of fine details about the area and discern more about its composition. Specifically, they say that the lack of significant motion at the center of the circle suggests that the wind slows down as it gets closer to the middle of the spot.