Who keeps an eye
on the largest moon in the
Solar System? This moon, visible on the lower right, is
Ganymede, and the planet it orbits,
Jupiter, seems to be keeping a watchful eye, as its
Great Red Spot
appears serendipitously nearby.
This recently released enhanced-contrast image from the robot spacecraft Cassini captures new details of the
incredible intricacies of
Jupiter's complex cloud patterns. Features as small as 250 kilometers can be seen.
Counter-clockwise rotating high-pressure
white ovals that are similar to the
Great Red Spot
appear in the red band below the spot. Between these spots are darker low-pressure systems that rotate clockwise. The hydrogen and
helium that compose most of
Jupiter's clouds is nearly invisible -
the trace chemicals that give Jupiter these colors
remain unknown.