A breathtaking new image series captured by NASA’s Juno spacecraft has revealed a look at a dolphin-shaped cloud that appears to be jumping through Jupiter’s atmosphere.

The cloud was spotted amid bands of clouds spanning the planet’s southern hemisphere back in October.

Juno documented the striking feature during its 16th close flyby of Jupiter, when it came about 11,400 to 31,700 miles (18,400 to 51,000 kilometers) from the planet’s cloud tops.

NASA Juno spacecraft captures ‘giant DOLPHIN’ on clouds of Jupiter (Image: NASA)

According to NASA, the images were taken between 5:26 p.m. and 5:46 p.m. ET on October 29.

They were later processed by citizen scientists Brian Swift and Seán Doran.

The image shows the ‘changing cloud formations across Jupiter’s southern hemisphere,’ NASA explains.

‘A cloud in the shape of a dolphin appears to be swimming through the cloud bands along the South Temperate Belt.’

The Juno mission has been churning out stunning photos of the gas giant planet ever since it arrived to its orbit in 2016.

Juno documented the striking ‘dolphin’ feature during its 16th close flyby of Jupiter, when it came about 11,400 to 31,700 miles (18,400 to 51,000 kilometers) from the planet’s cloud tops

Last month, NASA shared another look at its swirling clouds, which take on dream-like appearance of an oil painting. The photo showed storms in Jupiter’s dynamic North North Temperate Belt.

‘Appearing in the scene are several bright-white ‘pop-up’ clouds as well as an anticyclonic storm, known as a white oval,’ NASA said.

‘A multitude of magnificent, swirling clouds in Jupiter’s dynamic North North Temperate Belt are captured.’

It captures the intensity of the jets and vortices in Jupiter’s North North Temperate Belt. The clouds are likely made of ammonia-ice crystals, or possibly a combination of ammonia ice and water.

This color-enhanced image was taken at 1:58 p.m. PDT on Oct. 29, 2018 (4:58 p.m. EDT) as the spacecraft performed its 16th close flyby of Jupiter. At the time, Juno was about 4,400 miles (7,000 kilometers) from the planet’s cloud tops, at a latitude of approximately 40 degrees north.

The image, captured in the final minutes of a recent close flyby of Jupiter, NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured a departing view of the planet’s swirling southern hemisphere. At the time, Juno was about 55,600 miles (89,500 kilometers) from the planet’s cloud tops, above a southern latitude of approximately 75 degrees

The image, captured in the final minutes of a recent close flyby of Jupiter, gives a view of the planet’s swirling southern hemisphere.

It shows the giant storms and vast vortices that engulf the planet from a new perspective.

‘The color-enhanced image was taken at 7:13 p.m. PDT on Sept. 6, 2018 (10:13 p.m. EDT) as the spacecraft performed its 15th close flyby of Jupiter,’ NASA said.

At the time, Juno was about 55,600 miles (89,500 kilometers) from the planet’s cloud tops.

source: dailymail.co.uk