NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has captured some stunning new images revealing the changing seasonal conditions on two of our solar system’s largest planets – Uranus and Jupiter.
The icy gas giant Uranus is particularly intriguing, as it follows an unusual 84-year orbit around the sun while also rolling on its side. This means that for 42 years at a time, parts of one hemisphere are without sunlight, creating extreme seasonal changes on the planet’s surface.
Thanks to the Hubble telescope’s powerful imaging capabilities, scientists can now observe these seasonal transformations in greater detail than ever before. Images captured just seven years apart show the planet’s orientation shifting significantly as it moves along its orbit.
But it’s not just Uranus that’s caught the attention of astronomers.
Hubble has also been tracking the changing weather patterns on Jupiter, another gas giant in our solar system. The telescope’s observations reveal the planet’s famous Great Red Spot shrinking in size, while other storm systems appear and disappear over time.
These new images serve as a reminder that, just like here on Earth, other planets in our solar system experience seasonal changes that can be tracked and studied over time. With the help of powerful instruments like the Hubble telescope, scientists can continue to unlock the secrets of our cosmic neighbors and better understand the workings of our solar system as a whole.
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