What is the cause of the mysterious blue band surrounding Jupiter?

In summary, there is currently an unusual disturbance in Jupiter's cloudy atmosphere, specifically in the dark South Equatorial Belt. This was first reported by a Spanish amateur astronomer and has since stretched around the planet. There is speculation about the cause of this disturbance, including the possibility of it being related to the Shoemaker-Levy comet or a satellite with plutonium energy. However, experts assure that these events would not cause Jupiter to become a new sun and would not have catastrophic effects on Earth. The conversation also touches on the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.
  • #1
Ivan Seeking
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
8,142
1,759
An Amazing Disturbance In Jupiter's Clouds...

It is a very elongated, bluish streak that runs along the interface of the dark South Equatorial Belt.

The first hint that that something unusual was taking place in the cloudy Jovian atmosphere came from Spanish amateur when he reported that a small, bicolored feature was formingt in the Southern Hemisphere a little over2 weeks ago. NOW, this disturbance has stretched, what looks like, right around the planet![interview in RM format included]

http://www.abc.net.au/midnorthcoast/stories/s1057580.htm
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #2
Jupiter going blue

I'm amazed to see what is going on on Jupiter.. Talking with others it was said maybe both events (Shoemaker Levey comet) And sending sending a satellite to it's death loaded with plutonium energy on the planet...

Another guy said that it just be fireing up to be a new sun.. Thats would be different to see in the night sky..

Anyone have a thought?

What happined to the big dark spot? It dissapeared?
 

Attachments

  • m843971.jpg
    m843971.jpg
    4.3 KB · Views: 397
  • #3


Originally posted by MinnesotaRick
I'm amazed to see what is going on on Jupiter.. Talking with others it was said maybe both events (Shoemaker Levey comet) And sending sending a satellite to it's death loaded with plutonium energy on the planet...

What happined to the big dark spot? It dissapeared?
SL9 hit at much lower latitude several years ago and that satellite had several orders of magnitude less kinetic energy than SL9. As for the Pu going critical due to the pressure of the atmosphere... no.


The great red spot is on the other side of the planet in that photo.
 
  • #4
http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~rhill/alpo/jupstuff/recobs.html! It's the "Jupiter Observations and Alerts" link on the A.L.P.O. Jupiter page ("Association of Lunar & Planetary Observers").

Yes, it's always interesting when something unusual happens; however "[a]lthough Jupiter has, in the past, produced some unusual upper cloud features, nothing like this has ever been seen before!", well, if you live in the heaven on Earth which is the mid-north coast (of the state of New South Wales) in Australia, I guess the ABC (not to be confused with the ABC) journos felt it was OK to exaggerate somewhat to excite the locals. (Little did they consider beady-eyed folk from Oregon, where it's always raining, who scour the internet for juicy morsels :wink:)

More about Jupiter, in case you were too afraid to ask ...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #5
All things happin for a reason.. Even on Jupiter

Russ your thoughts are not as you think it may seem to you.. Did you see where the dark spot came into view once it came in view? Jump into a boat and see where the boat ends up on any normal lake.. It always moves to a new direction.. All it takes is ripples to start a new motion in a new attitude in travel..
 
  • #6
MinnesotaRick said:
Another guy said that it just be fireing up to be a new sun.. Thats would be different to see in the night sky..

whoa whoa whoa.. okay, first off.. I'm waay out of my league around here but I still enjoy perusing these forums and trying to learn a thing or two. I came across this and can't help but ask for abit of elaboration. Could this theoretically be possible? If so, wouldn't that be abit catastrophic for Earth?
 
  • #7
skywise said:
Could this theoretically be possible? If so, wouldn't that be abit catastrophic for Earth?
No and No. You've seen the movie 2010, right (if not, I highly recommend it)?
 
  • #8
"My God! It's full of stars!"
 
  • #9
Pssss, Njorl, that's 2001.
 
  • #10
skywise said:
whoa whoa whoa.. okay, first off.. I'm waay out of my league around here but I still enjoy perusing these forums and trying to learn a thing or two. I came across this and can't help but ask for abit of elaboration. Could this theoretically be possible? If so, wouldn't that be abit catastrophic for Earth?

Fear not, Jupiter is far too small to become a sun. It's mass would have to increase 80x in order to sustain a fusion reaction like a star. If Jupiter's mass were somehow to suddenly increase 80x, then yeah, that would mess with Earth's orbit and the new sunlight would heat things up 'round here.
 
  • #11
D'oh!

"Something's going to happen."
"What?"
"Something very special."
 
  • #12
whew! okay I'll stop worrying now. :-p

ummm.. I saw 2001 many a year ago.. but alas I was too young and it went *whoosh*, straight over my head. Perhaps I'll give it another try.
 
  • #13
The first time I saw 2001 I watched it on a 9" black and white TV. I don't recommend it that way.

Njorl
 
  • #14
I just noticed the true title of this story. I thought it said Blues Band...that changes everything. :eek:
 
Last edited:
  • #15
Nereid(Little did they consider beady-eyed folk from Oregon said:
tell me more about my eyes. :rolleyes:
 

Related to What is the cause of the mysterious blue band surrounding Jupiter?

1. What is the blue band around Jupiter?

The blue band around Jupiter is a large, dark-colored belt of gas and dust particles that can be seen on the planet's surface.

2. Why is the blue band around Jupiter blue?

The blue color of the band is caused by a combination of factors, including the composition of the gas and particles in the band, the way sunlight is scattered and absorbed in the planet's atmosphere, and the presence of certain chemicals such as methane.

3. How was the blue band around Jupiter formed?

The blue band is believed to have formed from a series of storms and atmospheric disturbances that have been ongoing for centuries on Jupiter.

4. How wide is the blue band around Jupiter?

The width of the blue band can vary, but it can reach up to several thousand kilometers in width.

5. Can the blue band around Jupiter change or disappear?

The blue band is constantly changing and evolving due to the dynamic nature of Jupiter's atmosphere. It can sometimes merge with other bands or dissipate completely, only to reappear in a different form later on.

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top