Jupiter’s north pole cyclones appear as stable as those at the south pole
Click for original figure.
In reviewing five years of data from Juno, scientists now conclude that the polygon of large storms surrounding Jupiter’s north pole appear as stable as the same poloygon of storms found at the south pole.
Each polygon is made up of a central polar cyclone (PC) surrounded by a number of circum-polar cyclones (CPC). The image to the right, Figure 1 from the paper, compares the north polar storms from 2017 (top) to 2022 (bottom). During the five years of observations the whole polygon “rotated approximately 15° westward,” though it essentially maintained its structure.
After 5 years, the 8 + 1 North PCs structure and the 5 + 1 South one show very small changes; the lifetime of a single cyclone is therefore longer than 25 years and possibly longer than 75 years. Also, single cyclones have their peculiar morphology and this is often retained after 5 years, both in radiance and in morphology. In particular, this is the first time that we can observe the North CPCs system since the discovery in 2017, and we find that the structure is almost unperturbed.
The question that appears to remain unanswered by this data is whether these storms are deep-rooted to the interior of Jupiter or shallow structures. The stability suggests the latter, but this remains unproven.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit.
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Click for original figure.
In reviewing five years of data from Juno, scientists now conclude that the polygon of large storms surrounding Jupiter’s north pole appear as stable as the same poloygon of storms found at the south pole.
Each polygon is made up of a central polar cyclone (PC) surrounded by a number of circum-polar cyclones (CPC). The image to the right, Figure 1 from the paper, compares the north polar storms from 2017 (top) to 2022 (bottom). During the five years of observations the whole polygon “rotated approximately 15° westward,” though it essentially maintained its structure.
After 5 years, the 8 + 1 North PCs structure and the 5 + 1 South one show very small changes; the lifetime of a single cyclone is therefore longer than 25 years and possibly longer than 75 years. Also, single cyclones have their peculiar morphology and this is often retained after 5 years, both in radiance and in morphology. In particular, this is the first time that we can observe the North CPCs system since the discovery in 2017, and we find that the structure is almost unperturbed.
The question that appears to remain unanswered by this data is whether these storms are deep-rooted to the interior of Jupiter or shallow structures. The stability suggests the latter, but this remains unproven.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
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