Jupiter is known for its harsh conditions, and a new study reveals more details about the gas giant’s powerful air currents.
An international team of scientists has managed to measure the winds in the stratosphere of Jupiter for the first time.
For this purpose, the ALMA apparatus was used, which measured the velocities of hydrogen cyanide molecules, which were separated from the comet’s collision with Jupiter in 1994 and have been in the stratosphere ever since. This was the only solution, as there are no clouds in Jupiter’s stratosphere.
The analysis shows that winds around Jupiter’s poles reach speeds of just over 1,400 km / h, which is three times faster than the most powerful winds on Earth. The diameter of the air currents is four times larger than the Earth and reaches 900 km. height.
According to scientists, such a whirlwind is a unique meteorological phenomenon for the solar system. Until now, it was thought that the winds would be the fastest at the top of the atmosphere, but as altitude decreases, their speed will decrease and they will even disappear when they reach the stratosphere.
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