Redação in English On 2023-10-20, 18:27

James Webb identifies a jet on Jupiter moving twice as fast as the worst hurricane on Earth

James Webb identifies a jet on Jupiter moving twice as fast as the worst hurricane on Earth (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, R. Hueso (University of the Basque Country), I. de Pater (University of California, Berkeley), T. Fouchet (Observatory of Paris), L. Fletcher (University of Leicester), M. Wong (University of California, Berkeley), J. DePasquale (STScI))

The James Webb Space Telescope made a surprising discovery in Jupiter’s atmosphere by identifying a jet stream, meaning a high-speed air current, in the planet’s equatorial region.

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The identified jet stream extends over 4,800 kilometers in width above Jupiter’s equator, located approximately 40 kilometers above the clouds. It not only moves at a speed of about 515 kilometers per hour, which is double the winds of a Category 5 hurricane on Earth.

Thanks to the capture by James Webb, the super-fast jet stream can provide insights into Jupiter’s atmospheric layers, helping scientists better understand its interactions.