NASA scientists spotted a weird green flash on Jupiter — a bright, unexpected burst of green light that shouldn’t be there according to everything we know about the giant planet’s atmosphere. This glow shows up in data from powerful space telescopes and has astronomers scratching their heads, because Jupiter’s clouds are mostly reds, browns, and whites, not neon green flashes. Some think it could be caused by unknown chemical reactions, high-energy particles, or storm activity deep in the planet’s atmosphere. In this video, we break down what the green flash might mean, why it surprises scientists, and how it could change our understanding of Jupiter and giant planets in general. Credit:
Lightning On Jupiter: By NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS, Kevin M. Gill, https://images.nasa.gov/details/PIA25020
Jupiter's Magnetic Field: By NASA GSFC, Dan Gallagher, Walt Feimer, Lisa Poje, Chris SmithRobert Andreoli, John Caldwell, https://images.nasa.gov/details/GSFC_20160629_Juno_m12296_Magnetometer
the Great Red Spot: By NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Christopher, https://images.nasa.gov/details/PIA21770
Launch: By NASA/JPL/SwRI, https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/media-gallery/story-videos
Junocam Juno press kit: By NASA JPL - http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/press_kits/juno/pdf/juno-hires.pdf, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=49850361
Shallow Lightning: By NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill, https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/news/shallow-lightning-on-jupiter
Shallow Lightning on Jupiter: By NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstädt, https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/pia23983-shallow-lightning-on-jupiter-illustration/
PIA24426: By By NASA/JPL-CALTECH/CNES/CNRS/LANL - https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/jpeg/PIA24426.jpg, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=99975370
Dust Devils Whirling: By NASA/JPL-Caltech/LANL/CNES/CNRS/INTA-CSIC/Space Science Institute/ISAE-Supaero/University of Arizona, https://science.nasa.gov/resource/mars-report-perseverance-rover-captures-dust-devils-whirling-across-mars/
Dust Storm: By NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS, https://images.nasa.gov/details/PIA22520
Global Dust Storm: By NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS, https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/30983/
ARC-1986-AC86-7000: By NASA JPL, https://images.nasa.gov/details/ARC-1986-AC86-7000
Eye on Neptune: By NASA ScienceCasts, https://images.nasa.gov/details/302_EyeOnNeptune
Ariel HiRes: By NASA/JPL, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1110546
Approaching Enceladus: By NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute, https://images.nasa.gov/details/JPL-2015_10_28-PIA17202
Taste of the Ocean: By NASA/JPL-Caltech - http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/pia16826.html, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25004926
Enceladus: By NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab, https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20384/
Uranus: By NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Conceptual Image Lab, https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/20390/
CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0:
Cat and styrofoam: By Sean McGrath, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37622131
Ariel in monochrome: By Kevin M. Gill, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=125678919
Uranus and Voyager: By Kevin M. Gill - https://flic.kr/p/DzcbqW, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=146250450
CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0:
Triton-usgs23-with-frame: By Michael T. Bland, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) - https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/6515fe80d34e469cabfce1bbhttps://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/PSJ/ad33ca#psjad33cas6, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150422378
Animation is created by Bright Side.
