Atmosphere

Main article: Atmosphere of Jupiter

Jupiter has the largest planetary atmosphere in the Solar System, spanning over 5,000 km
(3,000 mi) in altitude.[62][63] Because Jupiter has no surface, the base of its atmosphere is usually
considered to be the point at which atmospheric pressure is equal to 100 kPa (1.0 bar).
Cloud layers

The movement of Jupiter's counter-rotating cloud bands. This looping animation maps the planet's exterior
onto a cylindrical projection.

South polar view of Jupiter

Enhanced color view of Jupiter's southern storms

Jupiter is perpetually covered with clouds composed of ammonia crystals and

possibly ammonium hydrosulfide. The clouds are located in the tropopause and are arranged
into bands of different latitudes, known as tropical regions. These are sub-divided into lighter-
hued zones and darker belts. The interactions of these conflicting circulation patterns cause
storms and turbulence. Wind speeds of 100 m/s (360 km/h) are common in zonal jets.[64] The
zones have been observed to vary in width, color and intensity from year to year, but they have
remained sufficiently stable for scientists to give them identifying designations. [39]
Jupiter clouds
(Juno; December 2017)

The cloud layer is only about 50 km (31 mi) deep, and consists of at least two decks of clouds: a
thick lower deck and a thin clearer region. There may also be a thin layer of water clouds
underlying the ammonia layer. Supporting the idea of water clouds are the flashes
of lightning detected in the atmosphere of Jupiter. These electrical discharges can be up to a
thousand times as powerful as lightning on Earth. [65] The water clouds are assumed to generate
thunderstorms in the same way as terrestrial thunderstorms, driven by the heat rising from the
interior.[66]
The orange and brown coloration in the clouds of Jupiter are caused by upwelling compounds
that change color when they are exposed to ultraviolet light from the Sun. The exact makeup
remains uncertain, but the substances are thought to be phosphorus, sulfur or
possibly hydrocarbons.[48][67] These colorful compounds, known as chromophores, mix with the
warmer, lower deck of clouds. The zones are formed when rising convection cells form
crystallizing ammonia that masks out these lower clouds from view.[68]
Jupiter's low axial tilt means that the poles constantly receive less solar radiation than at the
planet's equatorial region. Convection within the interior of the planet transports more energy to
the poles, balancing out the temperatures at the cloud layer. [39]
Great Red Spot and other vortices

Time-lapse sequence from the approach of Voyager 1, showing the motion of atmospheric bands and
circulation of the Great Red Spot. Recorded over 32 days with one photograph taken every 10 hours (once
per Jovian day). See full size video.

The best known feature of Jupiter is the Great Red Spot,[69] a persistent anticyclonic storm that is
larger than Earth, located 22° south of the equator. It is known to have been in existence since at
least 1831,[70] and possibly since 1665.[71][72] Images by the Hubble Space Telescope have shown
as many as two "red spots" adjacent to the Great Red Spot. [73][74] The storm is large enough to be
visible through Earth-based telescopes with an aperture of 12 cm or larger.
[75]
 The oval object rotates counterclockwise, with a period of about six days.[76] The maximum
altitude of this storm is about 8 km (5 mi) above the surrounding cloudtops.[77]
Great Red Spot is decreasing in size (May 15, 2014).[78]

The Great Red Spot is large enough to accommodate Earth within its boundaries.
[79]
 Mathematical models suggest that the storm is stable and may be a permanent feature of the
planet.[80] However, it has significantly decreased in size since its discovery. Initial observations in
the late 1800s showed it to be approximately 41,000 km (25,500 mi) across. By the time of
the Voyager flybys in 1979, the storm had a length of 23,300 km (14,500 mi) and a width of
approximately 13,000 km (8,000 mi).[81] Hubble observations in 1995 showed it had decreased in
size again to 20,950 km (13,020 mi), and observations in 2009 showed the size to be 17,910 km
(11,130 mi). As of 2015, the storm was measured at approximately 16,500 by 10,940 km (10,250
by 6,800 mi),[81] and is decreasing in length by about 930 km (580 mi) per year.[79][82]