Hubble captures unique ultraviolet view of Jupiter

As Jupiter reaches Opposition, NASA has released a new unique ultraviolet view of the giant planet captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. For the unversed, opposition occurs when a celestial object and the Sun are on opposite sides of the sky.

This Hubble view of Jupiter shows the planet's iconic Great Red Spot - a massive storm the size of Earth that has been raging for hundreds of years. Though Jupiter's Great Red Spot appears red to the human eye, here it appears darker because high-altitude haze particles absorb light at these wavelengths.

Although the Hubble Space Telescope, a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), also sees the universe in visible and infrared lights, it has unmatched ultraviolet-observing capabilities that allow astronomers to study the short, high-energy wavelengths of light beyond what the human eye can see.

"This is a false-colour image because the human eye cannot detect ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light reveals fascinating cosmic phenomena, including light from the hottest and youngest stars embedded in local galaxies; the composition, densities, and temperatures of the material between stars; and the evolution of galaxies," NASA wrote in a post.

Just in time for Jupiter reaching opposition, this Hubble image shows a unique view of the planet in ultraviolet light!Look up tonight to find Jupiter – it appears large and bright, because its position is directly opposite the Sun in the sky: https://t.co/v4EIXynA1F pic.twitter.com/ZKtOYJlU38

— Hubble (@NASAHubble) November 2, 2023

Since its 1990 launch, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has provided a wealth of valuable data that changed humanity's understanding of the vast and mysterious universe.

Hubble explores the universe 24/7 and has made more than 1.5 million observations over the course of its lifetime, thanks to its unique vantage point and observing capabilities. It is worth mentioning that astronaut servicing missions have greatly extended the telescope's lifetime, keeping it in top condition and at the cutting edge of scientific technology.