Watch the king of the planets turn on its throne

This close-up view of Jupiter from NASA’s Juno probe captures the turbulent region just west of the Great Red Spot in the South Equatorial Belt, with resolution better than any previous pictures from Earth or other spacecraft.

A new analysis of data from NASA’s Cassini mission in combination with lab experiments contradicts the leading theory that the striking colour of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is due to reddish chemicals upwelling from below.

With good weather predicted, UK observers are in for a early treat on the morning of Saturday, 24th January, when a rare triple shadow transit of Jupiter’s moons occurs — an event not to be repeated until 2032. If cloudy, Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles is hosting a live webcast.