Jupiter as you've never seen it before from NASA's Juno spacecraft

Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, continues to captivate astronomers with its powerful storms, diverse moons, and turbulent atmosphere. Among its many mysteries is the Great Red Spot, a colossal storm that’s been swirling for nearly 200 years. Now, recent observations have revealed unexpected changes in the storm’s behavior, raising new questions about Jupiter's dynamic atmosphere. These surprising findings suggest the Great Red Spot is far less stable than it once seemed, according to astronomers.

Click through the following gallery for a visually thrilling voyage around Jupiter and its moons, and peer below the dense cover of clouds for a peek at the planet's atmospheric dynamics.

Juno arrives at Jupiter!

This illustration depicts the Juno spacecraft in an elliptical, polar orbit around Jupiter. (Photo: NASA/Lee Mohon)

Jupiter's swirling clouds

NASA's Juno spacecraft captures a swirling mass of magnificent cloud formations in Jupiter's dynamic North Temperate Belt. (Photo: NASA/Enhanced Image by Gerald Eichstädt and Sean Doran (CC BY-NC-SA/NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS))

"Clyde's Spot"

Storms in Jupiter’s southern hemisphere, including the Great Red Spot at upper left, have been churning in the planet’s atmosphere for millennia. But Juno has caught a new feature, a smaller, oval-shaped spot at the center of the image. It has been informally dubbed "Clyde's Spot" after amateur astronomer Clyde Foster of Centurion, South Africa, who discovered it. (Photo: NASA/ Image data: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/CC BY Clyde Foster (Figure B))

Deep view

During a close flyby, Juno recorded this view of a chaotic, stormy area of the planet’s northern hemisphere known as a folded filamentary region. (Photo: NASA/NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/CC BY Kevin M. Gill)

Tumultuous sight

Jupiter’s stormy northern hemisphere is captured by Juno. A number of bright white clouds can be seen popping up to high altitudes on the right side of the planet's disk. (Photo: NASA/NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill, licensed under CC by 3.0)

Spiraling storm

Numerous bright white cloud tops can be seen popping up in and around the arms of this monstrous cyclonic storm. (Photo: NASA/Enhanced Image by Gerald Eichstädt and Sean Doran (CC BY-NC-SA))

Atmospheric conditions

Dramatic atmospheric features in Jupiter’s northern hemisphere show swirling clouds that surround a circular feature within a jet stream region called "Jet N6."(Photo: NASA/NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill)

Inside out

Juno flew through the narrow gap between Jupiter’s radiation belts and the planet during its first science flyby. In doing so, it collected the first image of Jupiter’s ring taken from the inside looking out. (Photo: NASA/NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI)

Northern latitudes

Juno at approximately 5,200 km (3,200 mi) above Jupiter's northern latitudes. (Photo: NASA/NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/CC NC SA Björn Jónsson)

Juno approaches Jupiter

An artist's illustration depicts NASA's Juno spacecraft approaching Jupiter. (Photo: NASA/NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Headed towards Jupiter

Juno begins its journey to Jupiter with a spectacular midday launch. (Photo: NASA/NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Launch day looms

As the sun comes up over Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, preparations are under way at Space Launch Complex 41 to launch the United Launch Alliance Atlas V-551 launch vehicle carrying NASA's Juno spacecraft. (Photo: NASA/NASA/Kenny Allen)

Reaching the launchpad

A crane is lowered over the nose of the Atlas payload fairing enclosing the Juno spacecraft. (Photo: NASA/NASA/Cory Huston)

Juno passes the test

Technicians inspect the Juno spacecraft and its science instruments following acoustics testing at Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Denver, Colorado. The test simulates the considerable acoustic and vibration environment the spacecraft will experience during launch.(Photo: NASA/NASA/JPL-Caltech/Lockheed Martin)