Amateur Astronomer Discovers Unexpected Composition of Jupiter’s Clouds 2l7257 Technology News

Jupiter’s clouds are likely composed of ammonium hydrosulfide and photochemical products, new research suggests 4c2do

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 11 January 2025 22:04 IST

Amateur Astronomer Discovers Unexpected Composition of Jupiter’s Clouds

Photo Credit: Pixabay/TBIT 2r55l

Amateur astronomer questions Jupiter's atmosphere with old technique

Highlights

Amateur astronomer challenges assumptions about Jupiter’s clouds
Findings suggest clouds are deeper than ammonia ice levels
Collaborative research uncovers new insights into Jupiter’s atmosphere

ment

Jupiter's Jupiter's cloud layers.

Findings from Observational Studies 2x3z5y

wavelengths to map the abundance of gases like ammonia and methane in Jupiter's atmosphere. As reported by space.com, the data revealed that reflective cloud layers are located at pressure levels of 2-3 bar, far deeper than where ammonia ice was expected to condense at 0.7 bar.

Patrick Irwin, a planetary physicist at the University of Oxford, reviewed Hill's results and confirmed their accuracy through comparisons with data from instruments such as NASA's Juno spacecraft and ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT). He noted to space.com that the main reflection appears to stem from ammonium hydrosulfide clouds or photochemical products, rather than pure ammonia ice.

Io's Volcano Mystery Solved: No Global Magma Ocean Found

Implications and Future Research 631k1m

Reports indicate that these findings underline the role of photochemistry in shaping Jupiter's atmosphere, where ammonia is often destroyed faster than it can rise to the upper layers. Similar processes have been observed on Saturn, where cloud layers are also deeper than predicted. Researchers aim to refine models by integrating additional data from the VLT, Juno, and other observatories to better understand ammonia's vertical distribution.

Hill's approach demonstrates the potential of collaborative efforts between amateur and professional astronomers. These findings not only challenge existing models but also open new pathways for studying atmospheric dynamics on gas giants.

Comments

For the latest reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.