Science News: Chaotic Pictures Of Jupiter Released
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Betsy Asher Hall/Gervasio RoblesJupiter’s south pole as seen by NASA’s Juno spacecraft.
Ever since NASA’s Juno spacecraft began orbiting our solar system’s largest planet in 2016, it has turned out Countless breathtaking Jupiter pictures have made their way back to Earth since NASA’s Juno probe started orbiting the planet in 2016, allowing scientists and the public alike to have a unique look at the solar system’s largest planet.
The stormy Jupiter’s chaotic clouds make for quite the visual spectacle. The spacecraft has captured a nearly constant stream of photos of this spectacle, and the science news has caused a stir on social media with hundreds of people chiming in about what animals, people, and objects they see lurking in the planet’s swirling clouds.
NASA JPL
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab tweeted one stunning photo on November 9, asking their followers what they saw in the clouds and the answers were certainly diverse.
Despite what others may see in the clouds, it should be noted that this photo, like the rest of the Jupiter pictures captured by NASA, was enhanced. This process corrects distortions, adds color, and balances the brightness.
Editing the photos allows the storms and wind currents on the planet to be highlighted in a way that is easier to see, while subtle color changes make the photo more visually stunning.
NASA/JPL/University of Arizona
For the latest batch of photos taken from Juno, NASA enlisted artists Gerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran to touch up the pictures and there was more than one that caused a stir on social media.
No matter what enhancements he’s made, Doran is careful to not cross the line between enhancing the photos and completely altering them.
“It’s like peeling back a curtain,” Doran told The Atlantic in 2017 regarding the enhancing of Jupiter pictures. “You just want to reveal what’s there. That’s what motivates me—and I try not to upset the scientists too much.”
