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'NASA shocked': Jupiter’s clouds aren’t what we thought, discovery rewrites theories

Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh

Credit: NASA

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Hidden Depths

Jupiter’s iconic clouds, long thought to be ammonia ice, are now revealed to lie deeper, reshaping our understanding of the gas giant’s atmosphere.

Credit: NASA

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Amateur Breakthrough

Dr. Steven Hill, using commercial telescopes, uncovered surprising data about ammonia levels and cloud depths, sparking a major discovery.

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Scientific Collaboration

Professor Patrick Irwin of Oxford University confirmed the findings with advanced modeling and spectroscopy, proving the clouds are not pure ammonia ice.

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Occasional Clouds

Ammonia ice clouds form in specific updraft conditions, creating fleeting white patches that add a dynamic layer to Jupiter’s atmospheric puzzle.

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Color Chemistry

Reddish-brown hues in Jupiter’s bands result from photochemical reactions between ammonia and sunlight, crafting its iconic swirling patterns.

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Citizen Science

This discovery highlights the role of amateurs like Dr. Hill, showing how modest tools can lead to significant contributions to professional astronomy.

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Saturn Parallels

Similar methods reveal Saturn’s clouds also lie deeper than previously thought, suggesting comparable atmospheric processes between the two gas giants.

Credit: NASA

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Future Observations

Tools like NASA’s Juno and the James Webb Space Telescope promise further exploration of gas giants’ atmospheric mysteries.

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Global Impact

This breakthrough underscores the potential of collaboration between amateurs and professionals in uncovering the secrets of the cosmos.