¿ Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2020 August 11 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Churning Clouds on Jupiter Image Credit & [3]License: [4]NASA/[5]JPL-Caltech/[6]SwRI/[7]MSSS; Processing: [8]Kevin M. Gill Explanation: Where is Jupiter's ammonia? Gaseous [9]ammonia was expected to be seen in [10]Jupiter's upper atmosphere by the orbiting [11]Juno spacecraft -- but in many clouds is almost absent. Recent Juno data, however, gives some clues: some high-level clouds appear to be home to an unexpected type of electrical discharge dubbed [12]shallow lightning. Great charge separations are needed for [13]lightning, which might be created by colliding mushballs lifted by rising updrafts of gas. Ammonia and water stick to these [14]mushballs which rise until they get too heavy -- after which they [15]fall deep into [16]Jupiter's atmosphere and melt. By this process, ammonia found missing from Jupiter's upper atmosphere reappears below. [17]Pictured by Juno, churning clouds on Jupiter show not only mesmerizing complexity but some high-level, light-colored [18]pop-up clouds. [19]Understanding atmospheric dynamics on Jupiter gives valuable perspective to similar atmospheric and [20]lightning phenomena that occur on our home Earth. Peaking Tonight: [21]The Perseid Meteor Shower Tomorrow's picture: Comet NEOWISE's Pointing Tail __________________________________________________________________ [22]< | [23]Archive | [24]Submissions | [25]Index | [26]Search | [27]Calendar | [28]RSS | [29]Education | [30]About APOD | [31]Discuss | [32]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell ([36]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [37]Specific rights apply. [38]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [39]ASD at [40]NASA / [41]GSFC & [42]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2008/JupiterChurning_JunoGill_3279.jpg 3. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ 4. https://www.nasa.gov/ 5. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/ 6. https://www.swri.org/ 7. http://www.msss.com/ 8. https://www.flickr.com/people/kevinmgill/ 9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonia 10. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/jupiter/overview/ 11. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/juno/overview/ 12. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2020-153 13. https://youtu.be/tq_6DClZ0Ns 14. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/juno/20200805/PIA24042-640.jpg 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap171214.html 16. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter 17. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA23803 18. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA24041 19. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/30/62/75/3062756a297f1e3c22e35f3fe89b3ecc.jpg 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190729.html 21. https://blogs.nasa.gov/Watch_the_Skies/2020/08/06/perseids-peak-watch-best-meteor-shower-of-the-year/ 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200810.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 31. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=200811 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200812.html 33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 39. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 40. https://www.nasa.gov/ 41. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 42. http://www.mtu.edu/