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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Huge Detailed image of Jupiter

Here is a great image of Jupiter, taken from the New Horizons space craft, and it's turbulent atmosphere. To me, it looks like the dark circles are evidence of impacts from space debris. There seems to be a line of them all over the place, and look reminiscent of the Shoemaker-Levy comet impacts.

The full resolution of the above image can be found here:

www.planetary.org/image/050107_13.jpg

[starbux]

Wow, what a shot. Everyone should check out the full size image, since the preview here, while pretty, doesn't do it justice.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

It is a great image.

Now, it's speculation on what the disturbances are in the Jovian atmosphere, but my totally amateur opinion is that something(s) slammed into the atmosphere, leaving behind these darker and regularly spaced impact indicators. I can't see them being some activity from the planet itself.

Jupiter, being the sweeper of debris, it's as good a theory as those I have learned.

[mingfrommongo]

admin said:

Huge Detailed image of Jupiter

Here is a great image of Jupiter, taken from the New Horizons space craft, and it's turbulent atmosphere. To me, it looks like the dark circles are evidence of impacts from space debris. There seems to be a line of them all over the place, and look reminiscent of the Shoemaker-Levy comet impacts.

There seems to be an absence of dark spots in the central areas of the planet. Would some Jovian atmospheric condition be responsible for the disappearance of any dark spots in these areas? Is it possible that there would be a tendency for collisions to occur with far more frequency in the northern or southern thirds of the planet?

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Ming,

Jupiter revolves on it's axis faster at the equator than at the poles, making the planet kind of oblong. So your first thought could be be a valid one. With a faster rate, the equtorial regions might stir things up more and erase evidence of impacts more quickly.

Your second line of thought also could be right.

As seen here, Comet Shoemaker-Levy did not smash into Jupiter at the bulge, but rather into the closer pole region. I think this has to do with the planets gravitational field, which converge tighter at the poles and the debris follows the magnetic field.

Many have speculated that with Jupiter there, it's sweeps up and protects the inner solar system from bombardment by space trash.

Everything happens for a reason.