木星的深渊

2019 June 10

木星的深渊
图像来源：NASA, Juno, SwRI, MSSS; Processing & License: Gerald Eichstädt & Sean Doran

说明：木星上的那个黑点是什么?没人能肯定。在美国国家航空航天局(NASA)的“朱诺号”(Juno)最近一次环绕木星时，这艘机器人宇宙飞船拍摄到了了一个通常被称为“深渊”(Abyss)的黑云特征。周围的云图显示深渊位于漩涡的中心。由于木星大气层较暗的特征往往比较亮的特征更深入，深渊可能真的是它所出现的深洞——但这并没有更多的证据，这仍然仅是猜测。这个深渊被错综复杂的云团和其他漩涡风暴系统所包围，其中一些顶部是浅色的高空云团。这张照片是上个月拍摄的，当时“朱诺”号仅在木星云层上方15,000公里处经过。“朱诺”号下一次近距离掠过木星将是在7月。

Jupiter Abyss
Image Credit: NASA, Juno, SwRI, MSSS; Processing & License: Gerald Eichstädt & Sean Doran

Explanation: What’s that black spot on Jupiter? No one is sure. During the latest pass of NASA’s Juno around Jupiter, the robotic spacecraft imaged an usually dark cloud feature informally dubbed the Abyss. Surrounding cloud patterns show the Abyss to be at the center of a vortex. Since dark features on Jupiter’s atmosphere tend to run deeper than light features, the Abyss may really be the deep hole that it appears — but without more evidence that remains conjecture. The Abyss is surrounded by a complex of meandering clouds and other swirling storm systems, some of which are topped by light colored, high-altitude clouds. The featured image was captured last month while Juno passed only about 15,000 kilometers above Jupiter’s cloud tops. The next close pass of Juno near Jupiter will be in July.