Clouds Stack Up in Jupiter's North Equatorial Belt

The three-dimensional character of Jupiter's cloud decks is captured in this image of the planet's North Equatorial Belt. Orange storms peek out from under banks of dark gray clouds. Lighter tan and gray clouds cast narrow shadows on the dark gray cloud bank below. At the top are the "pop-up clouds," parcels of air pushed up to the altitude at which ammonia ice condenses to make small, bright clouds. Jupiter appears to have a pastel hue to the naked eye through an Earth-based telescope.