Since the launch of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope in 1990, it has been actively monitoring the evolution and formation of galaxies, black holes, dark matter, etc. In addition to these, the Telescope Hubble has been an active interplanetary weather observation instrument for the outer gaseous planets. Now, Hubble has captured a beautiful observation of the giant planet Jupiter.
Since the inauguration of the telescope’s Outer Planetary Atmospheric Heritage (OPAL) Program in 2014, it has provided we with a fascinating ever-changing view of the giant planets. Through the program, Hubble has observed that Jupiter’s weather is mostly stormy in the northern low latitudes, displaying a sequence of different alternating storms that create a “vortex” in astronomical terms. .
NASA suggests that sometimes, these storms converge, resulting in a more intense and larger storm that is likely to rival the size of the Great Red Spot. Recently, on January 6, 2023, Jupiter’s orange moon Io was captured shining among the planet’s diverse clouds. Scientists and astronomers clarified that Io’s surface exhibits a variety of colors because sulfur has different colors at different temperatures.
NASA’s Hubble observes weather change on Uranus
Meanwhile, NASA Hubble Space Telescope also observed changes in weather of Uranus. With its axis of rotation oddly tilted just 8 degrees from the plane of its orbit, Uranus exhibits a distinct “horizontal” orientation. One recent theory is that the planet formerly had a large moon that caused gravitational instability, eventually leading to a collision. NASA says that “the consequence of the planet’s tilt is that over a period of up to 42 years, parts of a hemisphere are completely devoid of sunlight.”
The size and luminosity of the northern pole cap is within Hubble’s view, and it’s getting brighter and brighter every year. Astronomers are engaged in dismantling various factors such as atmospheric circulation, particle properties and chemical processes to determine how they affect the seasonal variation of the polar cap. The latest Hubble image of Uranus shows that the planet’s north pole is now tilted towards the Sun. Notably, the Hubble Telescope compared the view of Uranus in 2014 with that of 2022.
