Jupiter - Voyager 1

Aurora and possible lightning on Jupiter

Jupiter
This image of Jupiter was taken by Voyager 1 about 6 hours after closest approach on 5 March 1979. The camera is looking back into Jupiter's shadow from a distance of 320,000 km. The north pole is on the limb at upper center, and the light along the limb is an aurora. The bright spots near the center and bottom of the frame are thought to be lightning, displaced diagonally due to scan platform stepping during the long (3 minute 12 second) exposure. They may be auroral in nature, but are much brighter than would be expected for such features. Jupiter is 71,492 km in diameter and north is at roughly 1:30. (Voyager 1, P-21283)
Larger size: 284 K jpg

High resolution tif file (185K)

Location & Time Information
Date/Time (UT): 1979-03-05
Distance/Range (km): 320,000
Central Latitude/Longitude (deg): N/A
Orbit(s): Flyby

Imaging Information
Area or Feature Type: aurora, lightning
Instrument: Wide Angle Vidicon Camera
Instrument Resolution (pixels): N/A
Instrument Field of View (deg): N/A
Filter: N/A
Illumination Incidence Angle (deg): N/A
Phase Angle (deg): N/A
Instrument Look Direction: N/A
Surface Emission Angle (deg): N/A

Ordering Information
CD-ROM Volume: N/A
NASA Image ID number: P-21283
Other Image ID number:
NSSDC Data Set ID (Photo): NSD XD-12A
NSSDC Data Set ID (CD): N/A
Other ID: N/A

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[NASA Logo] Authors/Curators:

Dave Williams, dave.williams@nasa.gov, (301) 286-1258
Code 690.1, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA

Jay Friedlander, jay.s.friedlander@nasa.gov, (301) 286-7172
Code 612.4, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA

NASA Official: Dr. David R. Williams, David.R.Williams@nasa.gov
Last updated: 24 September 2015