During its 61st close flyby of Jupiter on May 12, 2024, NASA’s Juno spacecraft delivered a mesmerizing snapshot of the gas giant’s northern hemisphere. The image, enhanced to highlight colors, reveals a tumultuous scene of swirling clouds and cyclonic storms within what scientists term a “folded filamentary region.” Here, the orderly bands typically seen in Jupiter’s atmosphere give way to turbulent patterns and rapidly evolving cloud structures, showcasing the dynamic nature of the planet’s weather systems over mere days.
Citizen scientist Gary Eason meticulously crafted this vivid image using raw data captured by JunoCam, employing advanced digital techniques to enhance clarity and color fidelity. Positioned approximately 18,000 miles (29,000 kilometers) above Jupiter’s cloud tops and at a latitude around 68 degrees north of the equator, Juno continues to unravel the mysteries of the largest planet in our solar system.
Raw images from JunoCam are publicly accessible for viewing and processing into various image products at missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam/processing. For those interested in contributing to NASA’s citizen science initiatives, more information can be found at science.nasa.gov/citizenscience and nasa.gov/solve/opportunities/citizenscience.
For further details about the Juno mission and its groundbreaking discoveries, visit nasa.gov/juno and missionjuno.swri.edu. Additional insights into this finding and other scientific outcomes are available at missionjuno.swri.edu/science-findings.