The NASA space probe Juno has once again captured the jaw-dropping beauty of Jupiter in another breathtaking image of the gas giant posted to the space agency’s Twitter feed Thursday.
The picture, which has been color-enhanced, was snapped by the Juno probe during its 10th flyby of the gas giant on December 16. The spacecraft was positioned just above the planet’s south pole, meaning it effectively recorded the different strata of the planet from the bottom up.
The largest body in our solar system is mostly made up of gaseous hydrogen and helium. Colorful bands are arranged in dark belts and light zones, created by strong east-west winds in the planet’s upper atmosphere. Blue clouds, such as those seen in the image above, are visible at the deepest levels.
READ MORE: NASA’s Juno mission snaps mesmerizing images of Jupiter’s cloud canopy (PHOTOS)
Jupiter’s size is such that up to 11 Earths could fit inside its clouded disc. The bright oval features, which appear so small on its face, are actually vast cyclones which can measure up to 600 miles (1,000kms) in diameter. Juno has captured a number of similarly fascinating images in recent days.
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