Jupiter's atmosphere has more water than we think

NASA's Juno spacecraft has just sent an important discovery about Jupiter's atmosphere - that it contains more water, far more than astronomers have ever thought.

NASA's Juno spacecraft has just sent an important discovery about Jupiter's atmosphere - that it contains more water, more water than astronomers ever thought, and most of it. gathering in certain areas instead of spreading as evenly as in the Earth's atmosphere.

Specifically, the new study shows that water makes up about 0.25% of Jupiter's atmosphere, significantly more than the results from past discoveries. Previous surveys by Voyager and several other spacecraft have shown lightning on Jupiter - a sign of the existence of water, but it is impossible to accurately estimate how much water is specific. much.

The successful mission of Galileo in 1995 brought out a very low percentage of water in Jupiter's atmosphere, and the amount of this water was concentrated in some special areas. However, the latest discovery of the Juno spacecraft shows that the amount of water in Jupiter's atmosphere is not only more and also distributed, constantly changing in many different locations.

Jupiter's atmosphere has more water than we think Picture 1 Jupiter's atmosphere has more water than we think Picture 1

'We found that the amount of water in the equatorial region of Jupiter is significantly larger than the Galileo probe measured over 20 years ago. The equatorial region of Jupiter possesses many unique features, so it is necessary to compare the amount of water in this area with other locations, promising to bring new and unknown knowledge. ', Dr. Cheng Li from the University of California, Juno project member, said in a statement.

To get the data from Juno, the team used an instrument called a Microwave Radiometer (MWR) to measure the atmosphere at various depths at the same time. The technology allows scientists to get more accurate data on Jupiter's atmospheric state at a maximum depth of 93 miles, significantly deeper than the 75-mile range of the previous Galileo.

The Juno spacecraft is still in orbit around Jupiter and recently made an exploration on February 17. The next exploration of the ship is scheduled to take place on April 10. here.