Science: Watch a video of Jupiter rotate on its axis.

WorldWide Tech & Science. Francisco DE Jesús.

Jupiter observed with the 1 meter Telescope at the Pic du Midi observatory, and a Basler Scout Camera. Crédit : S2P / IMCCE / OPM / JL Dauvergne / Elie Rousset / Eric Meza / Philippe Tosi / François Colas / Jean Pajus / Xavi Nogués / Emil Kraaikamp

The footage is composed of images taken using a camera and a one meter telescope during five days of observation (from October 10 to 15) on Pic du Midi —  a mountain in the French Pyrenees known for its observatory 2,800 meters above ground level.

Pic du Midi'svery stable atmospheric conditions is ideal for observing heavenly bodies — hence the high-resolution photos of Jupiter. Watching the video, you'll see a number of the gas giant's details including the famous Great Red Spot as the planet rotates on its axis. If you have a great affinity for the biggest planet in our solar system, this clip may just tide you over until we get an even closer view of Jupiter when Juno arrives on the planet in 2016.

Despite its enormous size, Jupiter’s day is only about ten hours long. In this video, the bulk motion you see is the planet rotating on its axis, but it’s essentially impossible to see any movement in the clouds themselves. Incredibly, those storms are swept along for hundreds of thousands of kilometers as the planet spins, but in that short time the structure of the clouds hardly changes at all. It’s a study in contrasting velocity.

Source: Discovermagazine