Astronomers revealed one of the secrets of Jupiter, the largest planet in the solar system. It turned out that the top of the upper clouds of the gas giant, which create a special species of this planet, consist of not frozen ammonia, but a mixture of chemicals. The study is published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, writes ScitechDaily.

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For many years, astronomers believed that the upper clouds of Jupiter consist of frozen ammonia. But the new study showed that these clouds are lower in the atmosphere than previously considered, and most likely consist of ammonium hydraulic sulfide mixed with smog.

The atmosphere of Jupiter mainly consists of hydrogen and helium, as well as ammonia, methane, water pair of some other chemical compounds. It is the latest components of the atmosphere of the gas giant, when they reflect sunlight, create a unique appearance of the planet.

Due to the fact that in the atmosphere of Jupiter there is ammonia, which is easily condensed, astronomers suggested that it was the upper clouds of the planet that consisted of frozen ammonia. Using the terrestrial telescope, VLT studied the concentration of ammonia and methane using the analysis of light, which they absorb and release. Thus, a map of Jupiter clouds on different lengths of the waves of light was created.

Thus, astronomers were able to accurately calculate the distribution of ammonia in the atmosphere of Jupiter. The new study showed that the clouds are too deep in the atmosphere of the planet to consist of frozen ammonia. Therefore, astronomers came to the conclusion that they consist of ammonium hydraulic sulfide and, possibly, smog, which is formed as a result of photochemical reactions in the atmosphere.

Astronomers came to the conclusion that the atmosphere of Jupiter is very similar to a puff pastry. Ammonium hydrosulfide clouds cover the upper atmosphere, but sometimes a frozen ammonia penetrates there, raised upstairs with strong vertical convection.

According to astronomers, the presence and absence of ammonia in certain places of Jupiter’s atmosphere is a good indicator of weather processes on the planet, which is of great importance for understanding the nature of the planet.

Scientists also found that clouds from frozen ammonia are quite rare and are in small areas of the atmosphere. But its entire structure is still poorly studied, and therefore a gas giant hides many more secrets that have to be revealed.

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