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==Extraterrestrial weather== [[Image:Great Red Spot From Voyager 1.jpg|thumb|Jupiter's Great Red Spot in February 1979, photographed by the uncrewed ''[[Voyager 1]]'' NASA space probe.]] Studying how the weather works on other planets has been seen as helpful in understanding how it works on Earth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/solar_system_weather_010306-1.html |title=The Worst Weather in the Solar System |last=Britt |first=Robert Roy |date=6 March 2001 |publisher=[[Space.com]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010502142934/http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/solar_system_weather_010306-1.html |archive-date=2 May 2001 }}</ref> Weather on other planets follows many of the same physical principles as weather on [[Earth]], but occurs on different scales and in atmospheres having different chemical composition. The ''[[Cassini–Huygens]]'' mission to [[Titan (moon)|Titan]] discovered clouds formed from methane or ethane which deposit rain composed of liquid [[methane]] and other [[organic compound]]s.<ref>{{cite journal | display-authors= 6 | author= M. Fulchignoni | author2= F. Ferri | author3= F. Angrilli| author4= A. Bar-Nun | author5= M.A. Barucci| author6= G. Bianchini | author7= W. Borucki| author8= M. Coradini | author9= A. Coustenis| author10= P. Falkner | author11= E. Flamini| author12= R. Grard | author13= M. Hamelin | author14= A.M. Harri | author15= G.W. Leppelmeier| author16= J.J. Lopez-Moreno | author17= J.A.M. McDonnell| author18= C.P. McKay | author19= F.H. Neubauer | author20= A. Pedersen | author21= G. Picardi| author22= V. Pirronello | author23= R. Rodrigo| author24= K. Schwingenschuh | author25= A. Seiff| author26= H. Svedhem | author27= V. Vanzani | author28= J. Zarnecki | name-list-style= amp | title= The Characterisation of Titan's Atmospheric Physical Properties by the Huygens Atmospheric Structure Instrument (Hasi) | journal=Space Science Reviews| date=2002 | volume=104 | issue= 1 | pages=395–431 |doi=10.1023/A:1023688607077|bibcode = 2002SSRv..104..395F | s2cid= 189778612 }}</ref> Earth's atmosphere includes six latitudinal circulation zones, three in each hemisphere.<ref>[[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]]. [http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/overview/climate-climatic.html Overview – Climate: The Spherical Shape of the Earth: Climatic Zones.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726195829/http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/overview/climate-climatic.html |date=26 July 2009 }} Retrieved on 28 June 2008.</ref> In contrast, [[Jupiter|Jupiter's]] banded appearance shows many such zones,<ref>Anne Minard. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080127125248/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/01/080123-jupiter-jets.html Jupiter's "Jet Stream" Heated by Surface, Not Sun.] Retrieved on 28 June 2008.</ref> Titan has a single jet stream near the 50th parallel north latitude,<ref>ESA: Cassini–Huygens. [http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Cassini-Huygens/SEMQO5SMTWE_0.html The jet stream of Titan.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125191625/http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Cassini-Huygens/SEMQO5SMTWE_0.html |date=25 January 2012 }} Retrieved on 28 June 2008.</ref> and [[Venus]] has a single jet near the equator.<ref>[[Georgia State University]]. [http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Solar/venusenv.html The Environment of Venus.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190307062424/http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/Solar/venusenv.html |date=7 March 2019 }} Retrieved on 28 June 2008.</ref> One of the most famous landmarks in the [[Solar System]], Jupiter's [[Great Red Spot]], is an [[Anticyclone|anticyclonic]] storm known to have existed for at least 300 years.<ref name="HaydPlan">{{cite web |title=Jupiter's Great Red Spot |author=Ellen Cohen |publisher=Hayden Planetarium |url=http://haydenplanetarium.org/resources/ava/page/index.php?file=P0413jupispot |access-date=16 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808130633/http://haydenplanetarium.org/resources/ava/page/index.php?file=P0413jupispot |archive-date=8 August 2007 }}</ref> On other [[giant planet]]s, the lack of a surface allows the wind to reach enormous speeds: gusts of up to 600 metres per second (about {{convert|2100|km/h|mph|abbr=on|disp=or}}) have been measured on the planet [[Neptune]].<ref name="Suomi1991">{{cite journal | last=Suomi | first=V.E. |author2=Limaye, S.S. |author3=Johnson, D.R. | date=1991 | title=High Winds of Neptune: A possible mechanism | journal=[[Science (journal)|Science]] | volume=251 | issue=4996 | pages=929–932 | doi=10.1126/science.251.4996.929 | pmid=17847386 | bibcode=1991Sci...251..929S| s2cid=46419483 }}</ref> This has created a puzzle for [[Planetary science|planetary scientists]]. The weather is ultimately created by solar energy and the amount of energy received by Neptune is only about {{frac|900}} of that received by Earth, yet the intensity of weather phenomena on Neptune is far greater than on Earth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/1998/34/text/|title=Hubble Provides a Moving Look at Neptune's Stormy Disposition|last=Sromovsky|first=Lawrence A.|publisher=HubbleSite|date=14 October 1998|access-date=6 January 2006|archive-date=11 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081011172657/http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/1998/34/text/|url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2007}}, the strongest planetary winds discovered are on the [[extrasolar planet]] [[HD 189733 b]], which is thought to have easterly winds moving at more than {{convert|9600|km/h|mph}}.<ref name="Knutson">{{cite journal| journal=Nature| volume= 447| pages= 183–186| date=10 May 2007| doi= 10.1038/nature05782| title=A map of the day–night contrast of the extrasolar planet HD 189733b| first=Heather A.| display-authors=6| last=Knutson| author2= David Charbonneau| author3= Lori E. Allen| author4= Jonathan J. Fortney| author5= Eric Agol| author6= Nicolas B. Cowan| author7= Adam P. Showman| author8= Curtis S. Cooper| author9= S. Thomas Megeath| name-list-style= amp| pmid=17495920| issue=7141| bibcode=2007Natur.447..183K|arxiv = 0705.0993 | s2cid= 4402268}}</ref>
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