“The Haunting Face” Captured by NASA’s Juno Spacecraft, Exploring the Largest Planet in the Solar System.
According to Live Science, to add to the eeriness, the strange “face” appeared just in time for Halloween, formed in the stormy cloud cover of Jupiter.
Image described as “the haunting face” on another planet – (Photo: NASA).
NASA reported that the mysterious image was captured by the Juno spacecraft during its 54th flyby of the northern region known as Jet N7 of this gas giant.
“The Face of Jupiter” has been likened to the face in the painting “The Scream” by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, created by chaotic clouds and storms moving across the boundary between day and night on the planet.
Juno spacecraft – (Photo: NASA)
The low angle of sunlight illuminating the complex terrain of Jupiter adds depth to the image, enhancing the eerie appearance of the “face.”
When JunoCam captured this unique moment, the spacecraft was flying approximately 7,700 km above Jupiter’s cloud tops, at a latitude of about 69 degrees North, according to NASA.
This is not the first time this gas giant with swirling cloud cover, which continuously changes shape, has produced hauntingly strange images.
From data collected by Juno since July 2016, there have been several images reminiscent of Van Gogh’s paintings or a dolphin frolicking in the sky.
According to scientists, these images can be explained by the Pareidolia phenomenon, where humans tend to perceive faces or familiar shapes in random objects when they exhibit certain similarities.
