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New techniques that correct for atmospheric blur enabled researchers to observe Jupiter for an unprecedented two hours in August and take the sharpest ever photos of the whole planet from Earth.

This image of the side of Jupiter without the familiar red spot combines photos taken over a 20 minute period. The complete 265 photo series was taken from the Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics Demonstrator prototype instrument attached to the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope in northern Chile. The images allow researchers to see that the atmospheric haze on Jupiter has shifted. — Dina Fine Maron

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