Spooky shadow play gives Jupiter a giant eye

28 October 2014 Astronomy Now
Image: NASA, ESA, and A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center)
Image: NASA, ESA, and A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center)

Just in time for Halloween, the Hubble Space Telescope has revealed a spooky view of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot staring back at Earth.

The image was taken on April 21, 2014, when Hubble was being used to monitor changes in Jupiter’s immense Great Red Spot (GRS) storm. During the exposures, the shadow of the Jovian moon Ganymede swept across the center of the GRS. This gave the giant planet the uncanny appearance of having a pupil in the centre of a 16,000 km (10,000-mile) diameter “eye.” Momentarily, Jupiter took on the appearance of a Cyclops planet!

This natural-colour picture was taken with Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3.

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