Jupiter imaged using the VISIR instrument on the VLT
Two faces of Jupiter
Comparison of VISIR and visible light views of Jupiter
Jupiter imaged using the VISIR instrument on the VLT
Spectacular VLT images of Jupiter presented just days before the arrival of the Juno spacecraft
Spectacular VLT images of Jupiter presented just days before the arrival of the Juno spacecraft
In preparation for the imminent arrival
of NASA’s Juno spacecraft, astronomers have used ESO’s Very Large
Telescope to obtain spectacular new infrared images of Jupiter. They are
part of a campaign to create high-resolution maps of the giant planet.
These observations will inform the work to be undertaken by Juno over
the coming months, helping astronomers to better understand the gas
giant ahead of Juno’s close encounter.
A team led by Leigh Fletcher of the University of Leicester
in the United Kingdom are presenting new images of Jupiter at the UK’s
Royal Astronomical Society’s National Astronomy Meeting in Nottingham. Obtained with the VISIR instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope, the new images are part of a focused effort to improve understanding of Jupiter’s atmosphere prior to the arrival of NASA’s Juno spacecraft [1] in July this year.
The campaign has involved the use of several telescopes
based in Hawaii and Chile, as well as contributions from amateur
astronomers around the world. The maps do not just give snapshots of the
planet, they also reveal how Jupiter’s atmosphere has been shifting and
changing in the months prior to Juno’s arrival.
The Juno spacecraft was launched in 2011, and has
travelled nearly 3000 million kilometres to reach the Jovian system.
Spacecraft can collect data free from the limitations affecting
telescopes on Earth so with that in mind, it might seem surprising that
this ground-based campaign was considered so important.
Leigh Fletcher describes the significance of this research in preparing for Juno’s arrival: “These maps will help set the scene for what Juno
will witness in the coming months. Observations at different
wavelengths across the infrared spectrum allow us to piece together a
three-dimensional picture of how energy and material are transported
upwards through the atmosphere.”
Capturing sharp images through the Earth’s constantly
shifting atmosphere is one of the greatest challenges faced by
ground-based telescopes. This glimpse of Jupiter’s own turbulent
atmosphere, rippling with cooler gas clouds, was possible thanks to a
technique known as lucky imaging. Sequences of very short exposures were
taken of Jupiter by VISIR, producing thousands of individual frames.
The lucky frames, where the image is least affected by the atmosphere’s
turbulence, are selected and the rest discarded. Those selected frames
are aligned and combined to produce remarkable final pictures like the
ones shown here.
Glenn Orton, leader of the ground-based campaign in support of Juno’s mission, elaborates on why the preparatory observations from Earth are so valuable:
“The combined efforts of an international team of amateur and
professional astronomers have provided us with an incredibly rich
dataset over the past eight months. Together with the new results from Juno,
the VISIR dataset in particular will allow researchers to characterise
Jupiter’s global thermal structure, cloud cover and distribution of
gaseous species.”
Whilst the modern Juno’s mission to unveil the
mighty Jupiter will bring new and highly anticipated results, its way
has been paved by ground-based efforts here on Earth.
Notes
[1] The Juno spacecraft was named after the mythological wife of the god Jupiter. Just like his planetary counterpart, Jupiter veiled himself in clouds to hide his mischief, and only Juno was able to peer through them to see his true nature.
More Information
ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world’s most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It is supported by 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world’s most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and two survey telescopes. VISTA works in the infrared and is the world’s largest survey telescope and the VLT Survey Telescope is the largest telescope designed to exclusively survey the skies in visible light. ESO is a major partner in ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre European Extremely Large Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become “the world’s biggest eye on the sky”.
Links
Contacts
Leigh Fletcher
University of Leicester
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 116 252 3585
Email: leigh.fletcher@leicester.ac.uk
Richard Hook
ESO Public Information Officer
Garching bei München, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6655
Cell: +49 151 1537 3591
Email: rhook@eso.org
Robert Massey
Deputy Executive Director, Royal Astronomical Society
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7292 3979
Email: rm@ras.org.uk
Anita Heward
Royal Astronomical Society
Cell: +44 (0)7756 034 243
Email: anitaheward@btinternet.com
Notes
[1] The Juno spacecraft was named after the mythological wife of the god Jupiter. Just like his planetary counterpart, Jupiter veiled himself in clouds to hide his mischief, and only Juno was able to peer through them to see his true nature.
More Information
ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the world’s most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It is supported by 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the world’s most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and two survey telescopes. VISTA works in the infrared and is the world’s largest survey telescope and the VLT Survey Telescope is the largest telescope designed to exclusively survey the skies in visible light. ESO is a major partner in ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre European Extremely Large Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become “the world’s biggest eye on the sky”.
Links
Contacts
Leigh Fletcher
University of Leicester
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 116 252 3585
Email: leigh.fletcher@leicester.ac.uk
Richard Hook
ESO Public Information Officer
Garching bei München, Germany
Tel: +49 89 3200 6655
Cell: +49 151 1537 3591
Email: rhook@eso.org
Robert Massey
Deputy Executive Director, Royal Astronomical Society
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)20 7292 3979
Email: rm@ras.org.uk
Anita Heward
Royal Astronomical Society
Cell: +44 (0)7756 034 243
Email: anitaheward@btinternet.com
Source: ESO
