Observations of Jupiter Supporting the New Horizons Encounter and During a Period of "Global Upheaval"

Details Observations of Jupiter Supporting the New Horizons Encounter and During a Period of "Global Upheaval" Observations of Jupiter Supporting the New Horizons Encounter and During a Period of "Global Upheaval"

Oct 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007dps....39.0103o&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #39, #1.03; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.407

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

Multi-spectral observations of Jupiter obtained between February and September of 2007 provided both increased spectral support and an extended timeline for the New Horizons remote-sensing of its atmosphere. The observations also tracked a series of rapid changes in Jupiter's atmosphere. Data were acquired at NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility (MIRSI, NSFCam2 and SpeX), Gemini/South (T-ReCS), ESO's Very Large Telescope (VISIR) and Lick observatory (the Aerospace VNIRIS spectrometer). Mid-infrared observations from the large telescopes optimized spatial resolution in the mid-infrared by minimizing the effects of diffraction. In mid-February, the north and south auroral-generated stratospheric hot spots were resolved spatially, possibly for the first time; the southern one being bright in methane, ethylene and ethane emission. In contrast, the northern one was recognizable in all of these emissions, but barely above the background level. Subsequent observation in March and later did not detect any enhanced emission from the north. Observations of polar regions provided evidence of distinct boundaries to polar airmasses which coincided with the locations of high-altitude haze layers. These high-resolution images revealed that temperatures in the interior of the Great Red Spot were not elliptically symmetric but were warmer to the south and center of the vortex. Observations from March to June coincided with the initiation of several vertical jets in the southern portion of Jupiter's North Temperate Belt (NTBs), which precede a major color change in the entire belt and often signal the beginning of an epoch of "global upheaval" in Jupiter's cloud system with major disruptions to its typical appearance. Observations from May through this writing tracked the initiation of similar weaker jets in the southern portion of the South Equatorial Belt (SEBs). Our observations determine the altitude of these outbursts, and their influence on the temperature field and the distribution of para-hydrogen and ammonia.

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