(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Stunning new images of Jupiter and Saturn have revealed breathtaking detail, including a razor-sharp view of Jupiter's iconic Great Red Spot (GRS).

The Great Red Spot, a massive swirling oval of clouds twice the width of Earth, has been visible on Jupiter for more than 300 years. Data from Juno mission of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) in 2021 revealed that Jupiter's storms are far deeper than previously thought.

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According to Nasa, some storms reach 100km (60 miles) below the cloud tops, while others, including the Great Red Spot itself extends more than 350km (over 200 miles) into the planet's atmosphere.

In photos shared by the Astronomy Centre, the planets appear remarkably crisp - with subtle textures, bright spots and swirling contours captured in striking clarity.

The images, taken during the transit of their moons, were shot on Sunday night (November 30) from the Oukaimeden Astronomical Observatory in Morocco.

Check out the images below:

This isn't the first time the region has witnessed impressive celestial phenomena. On March 23 of this year, UAE astronomers captured a vivid sighting of Venus in its crescent phase. Like the Moon, Venus cycles through several phases - from crescent to gibbous to nearly full - depending on its position relative to Earth and the Sun.

That same morning, at 9.18am, Venus reached surface conjunction as seen from the UAE, a phenomenon in which celestial bodies appear close together from Earth's perspective despite being far apart in space. During this event, Venus - usually located between Earth and the Sun - appeared as a thin crescent. Because of the tilt of its orbit, it sat 8.4 degrees away from the Sun instead of crossing directly in front of it.

This year has already offered sky-watchers several highlights. Earlier, a planetary parade saw four planets, including Venus, visible to the naked eye, with Uranus and Neptune observable through telescopes.

And rare alignments are not new: In April 2022, for the first time in a millennium, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn appeared in a straight line in the eastern sky for nearly an hour before sunrise - a celestial arrangement noted by experts as a once-in-1,000-years sight.

In April 2022, After 1,000 years, a rare and unique astronomical event will take place during the last week of April when four planets including Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will align in a straight line in the eastern sky for around one hour before the sunrise.

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