Stunning new images of Jupiter reveal atmosphere details in different light

Newly processed images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope and the Gemini North observatory in Hawaii reveal details of the turbulent atmosphere of Jupiter in different wavelengths, helping scientists to figure out what drives the formation of the gas giant's massive storms, Space.com reports.

Scientists have processed the images — captured in infrared, visible and ultraviolet wavelengths — to allow interactive side-by-side comparison of the different views of the clouds above the gas giant.

The changing appearance of the planet in different wavelengths allows astronomers to gain new insights into the behavior of Jupiter's atmosphere. Strangely, the Great Red Spot, the giant superstorm that persists south of Jupiter's equator, is very obvious in the visible and ultraviolet light wavelengths but almost blends into the background the infrared.

The comparison between the three types of wavelengths also reveals that the dark region representing the Great Red Spot in the infrared image is larger than the corresponding red oval in the visible image. The discrepancy is caused by the fact that each of the imaging techniques captures different properties of the planet's atmosphere, according to a statement by the US