Changes in the activity of Jupiter’s hemispheres

Abstract

Solar-induced changes in the reflective properties of the visible disk of Jupiter mostly depend on variations in the Earth’s jovimagnetic latitude. Since the orbit of Jupiter is eccentric (the eccentricity is e = 0.04845) and the planet passes perihelion at the time close to the summer solstice, the atmosphere receives 21% more solar energy in the northern hemisphere than in the southern one. According to the results of our studies, the ratio of the brightness values for the northern and southern tropical and temperate zones is a clear indicator of photometric activity of the processes in the atmosphere of Jupiter. From the analysis of the observational data for the period from 1962 to 2017, the cyclicity in changes of the activity factor of the hemispheres of the planet with a period of 11.87 years was found. This suggests that the atmosphere of Jupiter experiences seasonal restructuring.