The camera's remaining observation of Io is performed around noon PDT and is designed to provide additional data on the size and shape of the volcanic moon. During the day, the camera makes two observations of Amalthea. The images will enhance studies of the shape of this inner moon. The Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer makes six observations today, four of features in Jupiter's atmosphere and two of Europa. Two of the Jupiter observations capture data describing a white oval.
White ovals are long-lived storms that form between two adjacent zonal jet streams.
The other two observations take a look at a spot that is unusually darker than other spots in Jupiter's atmosphere. The spot appears to be more devoid of clouds and warmer than neighboring spots, suggesting to scientists that winds around this feature are travelling in a clockwise direction, unlike the colder Great Red Spot and white ovals that have counter-clockwise winds. The Near-Infrared Mapping Spectrometer observations will describe this winds near this spot and allow scientists to verify the models that explain this interesting behavior. Of the Europa observations, the first captures a region known as Belus Linea. The region is characterized by large concentrations of dark surface materials.