Why's it blue?
this post was submitted on 03 Jul 2025
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This is a really good question. I suspect the color in the image has been enhanced. I've been trying to find a scientific reason that the clouds could appear blue, but haven't found anything conclusive.
However, I did find a NASA page with raw images of Jupiter.
Here's a raw image:
Here's an image that's been color-enhanced:
It's not uncommon for space images to be color-enhanced. On the one hand, it may feel less authentic. On the other hand, the visible light levels in space may be insufficient for our expectations and uses anyway. Although I don't know the origin of the picture at the top of this page, I know that it's common practice for space photos to be enhanced. In fact they're often taken in non-visible spectrums and fully converted to something humans can see and comprehend. Ever see detailed, colorful photos of galaxies? They were probably taken in X-ray and colorized in processing. Cool as it would be, you wouldn't see those colors in real life.
The junocam page has raw shots from the actual device: https://www.msss.com/all_projects/junocam.php
Caption of another:
Multiple images taken with the JunoCam instrument on three separate orbits were combined to show all areas in daylight, enhanced color, and stereographic projection.
In other words, the images you see are heavily processed composites...
Dare I say, "AI enhanced," as they sometimes do use ML algorithms for astronomy. Though ones designed for scientific usefulness, of course, and mostly for pattern identification in bulk data AFAIK.
I believe the image is from one of the poles, rather than the side view we usually see.
It used to be called Christianpiter.
Sexyy photo
Slightly adjusted desktop background
I can practically hear the Cortex Command theme when it's portrayed like this
Peter?
"girls go to college to get more knowledge, boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider"
Kids say this to each other
Thanks. The rhyme doesn't really make sense though, right? Or am I missing something?
College rhymes with knowledge.
Stupider rhymes with Jupiter.
You know it's a rhyme, so you got that part.
It's an insult chant school girls use against boys. There's nothing more to it than that.
Thanks ! Never heard it before
Some of us went to Mars, to get candy bars.
And I went to Venus, to get more...
Genius.
fabulous !! you got more fabulous
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Jokes aside, damn thatssa a pretty planet
I'm no scientist, butt I believe that is an image of Jupiter's Uranus
I want to hang a picture of it in my house so when guests compliment me on it I can say "Oh you like it? Me too. It's a picture of Uranus"
You're amazing
Thank you.
That looks like a lot of storms
Stary night vibes
Isn't that artificially colored?
Ya, but I rather think about it as an 'enhanced spectrum' image. The structures you see are all real and similarly coloured, it's just enhanced
Ahh, yes. Crank the saturation, crush the shadows, and blast the highlights.
Jupiter's gonna have a bomb tinder profile now
Or Planets Only
Pluto:…
Not quite. It's based on real wavelenths detected, but they might've been arificially assigned colours (although I think the images this is based on sort of correspond to human perception). But the colours are massively adjusted and contrast increased way past the point I would consider reasonable.
These images are mindblowing. Bring me back down to Earth? Do you have a favorite image with reasonable coloring and contrast?
Solid reference. 10/10
I don't get it, do you mind explaining?
It's a thing kids say to taunt each other, "girls go to college to get more knowledge, boys go to Jupiter, to get more stupider".
What does that... mean? Is it a jab about college attendance demographics skewing towards women?
Kids don't know about college demographics. It's a dumb thing kids say to tease each other. Like 7 year old kids. It just means boys are stupid.
Yeah one of the ~~Moody blues~~ someone posted with the girls playing jump rope made it click
EDIT oops I meant "comic." I got distracted by the Moody Blues playing on the radio.
The thought of elementary school girls clowning on boys by pointing out college attendance demographics is precious though.
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Ah, got it, thank you!
Why is it so swirly?
the storms, and different chemical/compositions im guessing.
There are jet winds circling around Jupiter westwards and ones that are circling the other way, which creates turbulence, and there are ginormous thunderstorms as well
Storms
Mmnm I bet there's chocolate nugat and bipedal organisms in there
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