<p>Looking a bit like earthly thunderheads, a white band of high-altitude clouds emerge above the colorful, swirling patterns of Jupiter in a photo taken last summer by NASA’s Juno spacecraft. Jupiter, the solar system’s largest planet, has no Earth-like surface. Instead 
of an outer crust, the gas giant consists mainly of hydrogen and helium that condenses into liquid the deeper you go, all wrapped in an atmosphere of clouds made up of ammonia ice, ammonium hydrosulfide crystals and ice water vapor.</p><div class="vert-display-toggle collapsible relative flex flex-col items-center "><div class="vert-unit mt-4 mb-3 top-20"><div ad-type="mobile-desktop" class="ad-wrapper vert min-h-boombox flex items-start justify-center" data-ad-mapping="inline" data-ad-slot="Discover/inline-ad" id="div-inline-ad-0"></div></div><span aria-label="Advertisement" class="text-ad mt-1 text-[11px] uppercase">Advertisement</span></div><p>Measurements taken by Juno suggest the atmosphere extends nearly 2,000 miles below the gaseous surface. The solar-powered spacecraft eased into a 53-day orbit around Jupiter in 2016 for a mission expected to last into 2021. </p><hr><p><em>[This story originally appeared in print as "High Clouds on Jupiter."]</em></p><div data-embedid="4b651d8f-ea11-445f-9ea7-e776ca36eef3" id="insticator-embed-temp"></div>

Jupiter Clouds - NASA

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The September/October 2019 issue of Discover Magazine

Inside the Public Health Crisis of Gun Violence

Discover the stunning high-altitude clouds on Jupiter captured by NASA's Juno spacecraft, showcasing the beauty of the gas giant.

The Sciences

Swirling Clouds on Jupiter

Article

News

Ernie Mastroianni

Science

Looking a bit like earthly thunderheads, a white band of high-altitude clouds emerge above the colorful, swirling patterns of Jupiter in a photo taken last summer by NASA’s Juno spacecraft. Jupiter, the solar system’s largest planet, has no Earth-like surface. Instead 
of an outer crust, the gas giant consists mainly of hydrogen and helium that condenses into liquid the deeper you go, all wrapped in an atmosphere of clouds made up of ammonia ice, ammonium hydrosulfide crystals and ice water vapor. Measurements taken by Juno suggest the atmosphere extends nearly 2,000 miles below the gaseous surface. The solar-powered spacecraft eased into a 53-day orbit around Jupiter in 2016 for a mission expected to last into 2021. [This story originally appeared in print as "High Clouds on Jupiter."]

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