~SOLAR SYSTEM ON~ GALAXIES

Title: Jupiter and its Satellites Caption: Jupiter and three of four largest satellites captured from 28.4 million km (17.5 million miles) by Voyager 1 in 1979. The innermost satellite, Io, can be seen against Jupiter's disk. To the right is the satellite Europa and towards the bottom of the image is Callisto, showing some surface detail. All three satellites orbit Jupiter in the equatorial plane and always show the same face to Jupiter. In this image the anti-Jovian face is being seen. As a backdrop are the wonderful colors and patterns of Jupiter's upper atmosphere, including the famous Great Red Spot. Copyright:(c) Public Domain Credit: NASA/JPL

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Title: Cylindrical Projection of Jupiter Caption: Computer generated cylindrical projection of Jupiter based on 10 images obtained by Voyager 1 in February 1979 during a single rotation of the planet. A projection of this type is invaluable as it provides an instant view of the whole planet. Along the northern edge of the northern equatorial belt are four dark brown, oval regions that are thought to be lower darker clouds visible through gaps in the upper atmosphere. Clearly visible is the Great Red Spot, a vast weather system, along with a number of white ovals that are probably upper atmosphere storms. The resolution in this image is 600 km (375 miles). Copyright:(c) Public Domain Credit: NASA/JPL

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Title: Jupiter's Aurora Caption: Hubble Space Telescope images taken in ultraviolet light reveal aurora at both of Jupiter's poles. These high-resolution images show a ring of auroral light extending for several hundred miles above Jupiter's limb. Images of the Earth's aurora, taken by various shuttle crews, show a similar pattern. Auroral displays are caused when electrically charged particles trapped in magnetic fields spiral towards the planet's poles. As they reach the upper atmosphere they excite the atoms and molecules causing them to glow. An auroral display on Jupiter would be a spectacular site due to Jupiter's very strong magnetic field. Copyright:(c) Public Domain Credit: STScI-PRC98-04, John Clarke (University of Michigan), and NASA

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Title: Infrared View of Jupiter Caption: Methane in Jupiter's atmosphere allows infrared detectors on the Hubble Space Telescope to image clouds normally hidden from view. At visible wavelengths these clouds are obscured because of the high reflectance of the underlying clouds. Methane gas between the main cloud level and upper atmosphere clouds absorbs the reflected infrared light allowing high level clouds to be imaged. Also visible in this image are Jupiter's thin ring and the tiny moon Metis, which is the bright point near the ring's outer edge. Copyright:(c) Public Domain Credit: STScI-PRC97-37, Reta Beebe (New Mexico State University), and NASA

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Title: Jupiter's Rings Caption: The Voyager missions made many discoveries, one of which was a thin, tenuous ring around Jupiter. This colorful image shows the rings as the orange lines extending from the left edge of the planet. The image was taken through both orange and violet filters. The distorted appearance of the planet's edge is due to the motion of the spacecraft throughout the long exposure. The lower image of the ring is cut short by Jupiter's shadow. Copyright:(c) Public Domain Credit: NASA/JPL

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Title: Great Red Spot Caption: A true color image of the Great Red Spot taken by the Galileo Orbiter. The Great Red Spot is a giant storm system that is known to have existed for over 300 years. It rotates as a huge anticyclone with a westerly wind on its northern edge. It is roughly 24,000 km (15,000 miles) long and 11,000 km (7,000 miles) wide - big enough to swallow up several Earth's. Copyright:(c) Public Domain Credit: NASA/JPL

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Title: Great Red Spot Caption: A Voyager 1 image of the Great Red Spot region reveals details about the turbulent atmosphere of Jupiter. The white oval, one of three that formed in the late 1930s that have remained virtually unchanged ever since, is an anticyclonic weather system like the Great Red Spot. It is thought that these mini spots formed out of the larger Great Red Spot. Also evident are eddies and turbulence creating intricate patterns in the clouds. Copyright:(c) Public Domain Credit: NASA/JPL

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Title: Jupiter's Equatorial Region Caption: This Galileo image shows the features of Jupiter's main visible cloud deck. The central dark region is an equatorial 'hotspot. These regions are holes in the brighter, more reflective upper atmosphere where warmer thermal emission from below can pass through. One of these 'hotspots' was the target for the Galileo Probe entry site. Analysis of the complex patterns and data from the atmospheric probe suggests that dry air may be sinking over these regions, maintaining the cloud free appearance. The smallest discernible features are a few ten of kilometers in size. Copyright:(c) Public Domain Credit: NASA/JPL

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Title: Jupiter's Northern Hemisphere Caption: A mosaic of images covering from 10° N to 50° N. Jupiter's atmosphere is dominated by a series of alternating weather systems that flow eastward and then westward. Also visible are common cloud features such as large white ovals, bright spots, dark spots, vortices and turbulence. Copyright:(c) Public Domain Credit: NASA/JPL

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