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NASA's Juno Reveals Jupiter's Mysterious 'Mushballs' Hailstones

4/16/2025

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Summary

Story summary

NASA's Juno mission has unveiled a fascinating discovery: Jupiter is home to "mushballs," slushy hailstones made of ammonia and water that form during fierce storms. Initially met with skepticism, researchers from UC Berkeley now recognize these hailstones as key players in redistributing ammonia deep within the atmosphere, reshaping our understanding of gas giants and hinting at similar processes on Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

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Story summary

NASA's Juno mission has unveiled a fascinating discovery: Jupiter is home to "mushballs," slushy hailstones made of ammonia and water that form during fierce storms. Initially met with skepticism, researchers from UC Berkeley now recognize these hailstones as key players in redistributing ammonia deep within the atmosphere, reshaping our understanding of gas giants and hinting at similar processes on Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.