Hubble captures spectacular new view of Jupiter and Europa

On 25 August, the Hubble Space Telescope checked in on Jupiter, capturing another stunning view of the giant planet, the Great Red Spot and a new storm boiling up in the mid-northern latitudes. The frozen moon Europa is visible at left. The GRS, measuring about 15,700 kilometres (9,800 miles) across and rotating counterclockwise, displays an especially red colour as it plows into the clouds ahead. Another storm, dubbed Oval BA and nicknamed Red Spot Jr., is visible just below its famous counterpart, appearing to darken slightly and suggesting a possible return to a more reddish hue. Hubble captured the new image as part of the Outer Planets Atmospheres Legacy program – OPAL – which keeps tabs on changes in the atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.

Jupiter and the icy moon Europa as imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope. Click the photo for a larger view. Image: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center), and M. H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley) and the OPAL team