Who would have thought that we would be using instruments to study planets light years away on an object within our own solar system? A new study has employed an advanced instrument to investigate the winds on Jupiter.
At a time when it has become almost usual to discover planets orbiting faraway stars, with over 5,000 already identified, what holds fundamental importance is understanding the atmosphere of Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. Researchers have finally pointed an exoplanet hunting tool at Jupiter to do just that.
The method used to measure wind speeds on Jupiter involved the use of an ESPRESSO spectrograph, and the results are detailed in a journal called Universe. This success opens new doors to understanding our cosmic neighborhood.
For five hours in July 2019, the team observed light clouds at a higher altitude and belts of descending air that form dark, warmer clouds in deeper layers of Jupiter’s atmosphere. The findings suggest that our understanding of gaseous planets might be on the brink of a new era, thanks to the successful application of these advanced research methods.