![]() ![]() Researchers are still trying to solve the mystery of how the jet streams form. Juno previously discovered that these winds, or jet streams, reach depths of about 2,000 miles (roughly 3,200 kilometers). Strong east-west winds moving in opposite directions separate the bands. In addition to cyclones and anticyclones, Jupiter is known for its distinctive belts and zones – white and reddish bands of clouds that wrap around the planet. “Being able to complement MWR’s finding on the depth gives us great confidence that future gravity experiments at Jupiter will yield equally intriguing results.” “The precision required to get the Great Red Spot’s gravity during the July 2019 flyby is staggering,” said Marzia Parisi, a Juno scientist from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California and lead author of a paper in the journal Science on gravity overflights of the Great Red Spot. This enabled the team to constrain the depth of the Great Red Spot to about 300 miles (500 kilometers) below the cloud tops. With Juno traveling low over Jupiter’s cloud deck at about 130,000 mph (209,000 kph) Juno scientists were able to measure velocity changes as small 0.01 millimeter per second using a NASA Deep Space Network tracking antenna, from a distance of more than 400 million miles (650 million kilometers). ![]() Two close Juno flybys over Jupiter’s most famous spot provided the opportunity to search for the storm’s gravity signature and complement the MWR results on its depth. The height and size of the Great Red Spot means the concentration of atmospheric mass within the storm potentially could be detectable by instruments studying Jupiter’s gravity field. ![]() Wider than Earth, this crimson vortex has intrigued scientists since its discovery almost two centuries ago. ![]() The most famous of these storms is the iconic anticyclone known as the Great Red Spot. Juno’s microwave radiometer (MWR) allows mission scientists to peer beneath Jupiter’s cloud tops and probe the structure of its numerous vortex storms. “Now, we’re starting to put all these individual pieces together and getting our first real understanding of how Jupiter’s beautiful and violent atmosphere works – in 3D.” “Previously, Juno surprised us with hints that phenomena in Jupiter’s atmosphere went deeper than expected,” said Scott Bolton, principal investigator of Juno from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio and lead author of the Science journal paper on the depth of Jupiter’s vortices. During each of the spacecraft’s 37 passes of the planet to date, a specialized suite of instruments has peered below its turbulent cloud deck. “Each paper sheds light on different aspects of the planet’s atmospheric processes – a wonderful example of how our internationally-diverse science teams strengthen understanding of our solar system.” “These new observations from Juno open up a treasure chest of new information about Jupiter’s enigmatic observable features,” said Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s planetary science division at the agency’s headquarters in Washington. Additional papers appeared in two recent issues of Geophysical Research Letters. Researchers published several papers on Juno’s atmospheric discoveries today in the journal Science and the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets. The results highlight the inner workings of the belts and zones of clouds encircling Jupiter, as well as its polar cyclones and even the Great Red Spot. Rocket Jets was a popular attraction during its run, and its towering presence in Tomorrowland made it a distinctive and memorable part of the park’s skyline.New findings from NASA’s Juno probe orbiting Jupiter provide a fuller picture of how the planet’s distinctive and colorful atmospheric features offer clues about the unseen processes below its clouds. The Rocket Jets were relocated in 1998 to a new location in Tomorrowland and rethemed as the Astro Orbiter, which is still operating in Disneyland today. The attraction was originally known as the Astro Jets when it first opened in 1956, but it was later replaced by the Rocket Jets in 1967. As they reached the top, they could look out over Disneyland and enjoy a panoramic view of the park. Guests would board the rockets and use a control stick to control their ascent and descent around the tower. The attraction featured 12 rocket-shaped vehicles that were mounted on a central tower. The attraction was located in Tomorrowland and was designed to simulate a rocket flight high above the park. Rocket Jets was a classic Disneyland attraction that opened in 1967 and closed in 1997. ![]()
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