NASA Is Engaging Casual Observers To Inspect Photos Of Clouds On Jupiter

Juno, the spacecraft that has been sent by NASA to study Jupiter, has come back with stunning pictures of the planet.

However, the wealth of photos Juno has returned with has overwhelmed the scientists at NASA, and they are now calling on the public to help them with this project. So, if you ever had the desire to work for NASA, now’s your chance. 

The Jovian Vortex Hunter is the project you could potentially be a part of, and it’s as cool as it sounds. Just like the name suggests, you’ll be vortex-hunting. NASA has sent out as call to study the pictures of Jupiter’s clouds and identify vortices.

But that’s only step one of the process. The next part is specifying whether the vortex is moving in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction.  

Your work will contribute to scientists’ understanding of the atmospheric properties of Jupiter. Researchers are looking to determine what causes these vortices to be created as well as to better understand the gas giant’s aggressive gas structure.  

If you’re wondering why NASA wants regular folk to work on the project instead of its own roster of esteemed scientists, it’s simply because there are just way too many photographs to look at. So many in fact, it fears it may take years to study all of them. There is strength in numbers, as they say, especially for an otherworldly project such as this.  

There are plenty of different types of shapes of clouds on Jupiter, much like Earth, except not all are made from water. There are three levels of clouds on Jupiter. The highest tier consists of clouds made from ammonia, while the second level derives from ammonia and sulfur, and the third is from water.

The Jovian cloud is the type that researchers are particularly interested in, hence the name of the project. Jovian clouds are high-altitude clouds that are surrounded by a multitude of swirling patterns that scientists are trying to better understand.  

If you wish to be a part of the project, you can sign in on the Jovian Vortex Hunter portal where there are guides and video tutorials to help you get started on your new journey with NASA.  

[via DIY Photography and PetaPixel, cover image via NASA]