US spacecraft finds cyclones, ammonia river on Jupiter

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.: Jupiter’s atmosphere features colossal cyclones and rivers of ammonia welling up from deep inside the solar system’s largest planet, researchers said on Thursday, publishing the first insights from a Nasa spacecraft flying around the gas giant.

The cyclones were discovered as the Juno spacecraft made the first of at least 12 planned close encounters with Jupiter, which scientists believe set the stage for the development of Earth and other planets in the solar system.

Juno found cyclones as big as 1,400 km in diameter swirling over Jupiter’s north and south poles, the research published in this week’s issue of the journal Science shows.

The spacecraft also detected an ammonia belt extending from the top of the atmosphere to hundreds of miles into Juno’s interior, as far down as Juno’s instruments can see. — Reuters