At first glance at this image, you’d be forgiven for mistaking it for a work of art.
But the image is very much real, and was snapped by NASA's Juno spacecraft during a close approach of Jupiter on February 17.
The image shows Jupiter’s tumultuous northern regions, including a mysterious haze that has baffled NASA since it was first spotted in 2016.
NASA explained: “Notable features in this view are the long, thin bands that run through the center of the image from top to bottom.
“Juno has observed these long streaks since its first close pass by Jupiter in 2016. The streaks are layers of haze particles that float above the underlying cloud features.
“Scientists don't yet know exactly what these hazes are made of or how they form. Two jet streams in Jupiter's atmosphere flank either side of the region where the narrow bands of haze typically appear, and some researchers speculate those jet streams may influence the formation of the high hazes.”
The stunning image was taken on February 17, during Juno’s 25th close flyby of Jupiter.
While the photo looks fairly close-up, Juno was actually thousands of miles from Jupiter when it snapped the image.
NASA said: “At the time the image was taken, the spacecraft was about 15,610 miles (25,120 kilometers) from the planet's cloud tops at a latitude of about 71 degrees North.”
Juno has been orbiting Jupiter since 2016, following a five year journey from Earth.
The spacecraft’s primary goal is to reveal the story of Jupiter's formation and evolution.
NASA explained: “Using long-proven technologies on a spinning spacecraft placed in an elliptical polar orbit, Juno will observe Jupiter's gravity and magnetic fields, atmospheric dynamics and composition, and evolution.”
