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NASA’s Webb Discovers New Feature in Jupiter’s Atmosphere

Release date: Thursday, October 19, 2023 11:00:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NASA’s Webb Discovers New Feature in Jupiter’s Atmosphere



Narrow jet stream near equator has winds traveling 320 miles per hour.

Jupiter has some of the most conspicuous atmospheric features in our solar system. The planet’s Great Red Spot, large enough to envelop Earth, is nearly as well known as some of the various rivers and mountains on the planet we call home.

However, much like Earth, Jupiter is ever-changing, and there’s much about the planet we have yet to learn. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is unlocking some of those mysteries, revealing new features of Jupiter we’ve never seen before, including a high-speed jet speeding over the planet’s equator. While the jet stream is not as visually apparent or stunning as some of Jupiter’s other features, it’s giving researchers incredible insight into how the layers of the planet’s atmosphere interact with each other, and how Webb will aid in these investigations in the future.



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Find additional articles, images, and videos at WebbTelescope.org



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