SAN DIEGO, Calif. (KGTV) - A Scripps Institution of Oceanography postdoctoral researcher is helping demystify Jupiter with newly published research regarding cyclones on the planet.
Lia Siegelman said her background in physical oceanography helped her in these studies. She said it started when she saw photos of Jupiter and realized the images of the poles looked like turbulence in the ocean.
Using the photos from NASA’s Juno Mission and her knowledge of fluid dynamics, she was able to prove what drives these cyclones on Jupiter.
“We were able to prove that small clouds and the convection within those small clouds was like a source of energy and then the large cyclones was getting the energy from this source,” said Siegelman.
She said discoveries like this are important for understanding other planets, which could also ultimately help understand Earth. She attributes this find to NASA’s images, which are the first high resolution images of Jupiter’s poles.
“It has been a great gift for planetary scientists and has brought a lot of data back and we’re constantly learning and making great progress thanks to this mission.”
