Continue through the photos to see other photos of Jupiter from NASA's Juno Mission.
Continue through the photos to see other photos of Jupiter from NASA's Juno Mission.
A NASA engineer is reflected in the mirrors of the James Webb Space Telescope at Johnson Space Center.
A NASA engineer is reflected in the mirrors of the James Webb Space Telescope at Johnson Space Center.
Photo: Michael Ciaglo, StaffEven as the future of the problem-plagued James Webb Space Telescope is in question, NASA has announced that the telescope will study Jupiter's Great Red Spot.
James Webb, the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, is meant to revolutionize the world's understanding of planet and star formation. Initially expected to launch in 2007, it has faced repeated delays and burgeoning costs. Last week, officials announced that it would be delayed another year to 2021 and cost almost $9 billion to develop.
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The announced delay pushes development costs past the $8 billion cap set by Congress in 2011, which means Congressional leaders must reauthorize the project in the agency's 2019 fiscal year budget. A meeting on this topic is being planned for this month.
But both NASA and contractor Northrop Grumman are confident that, this time, they can remain on schedule. And space agency officials already are planning an area of focus for the not yet launched telescope: Jupiter's Great Red Spot, a storm that scientists have been monitoring since 1830.
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"Webb's infrared sensitivity provides a wonderful complement to Hubble visible-wavelength studies of the Great Red Spot," Webb scientist Heidi Hammel said in a recent posting on NASA's website. "Hubble images have revealed striking changes in the size of the Great Red Spot over the mission's multi-decade-long lifetime."
With the help of James Webb, scientists will examine the spot's thermal, chemical and cloud structures -- studies that could shed light on why the spot is red, for example.
The Webb telescope could also help scientists understand if the spot is generating heat and releasing it into the planet's upper atmosphere, which could explain why the temperatures are so high in that area.
Alex Stuckey covers NASA and the environment for the Houston Chronicle. You can reach her at alex.stuckey@chron.com or Twitter.com/alexdstuckey.
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