--- title: "Behold This Scary Face in the Clouds of Jupiter" description: "Even the ghouls on Jupiter are out for Halloween! The Juno spacescraft captured a spooky image of a grimacing \"face\" in Jupiter's clouds." date: "2023-10-31" modified: "2023-10-31" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/scary-face-clouds-jupiter" categories: - "Off-World" - "Space" tags: - "juno mission" - "jupiter" - "NASA" - "the digest" --- # Behold This Scary Face in the Clouds of Jupiter ![Even the ghouls on Jupiter are out for Halloween! The Juno spacescraft captured a spooky image of a grimacing "face" in Jupiter's clouds.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Space Ghouls Even the ghouls on Jupiter are out for Halloween! Right in time for the spookiest holiday of all, [NASA is showing off]() an eerie photo of Jupiter's noxious clouds — which are scary enough on their own already, considering that they're [jam-packed with toxic ammonia]() — taking the shape of a creepy face reminiscent of Edvard Munch's "[The Scream]()." The photo, taken of Jupiter's far north [Jet N7 region](), was actually captured back on September 7th, snapped by NASA's Juno spacecraft during the shuttle's 54th flyby of the gas giant and later processed by citizen scientist Vladimir Tarasov "using raw data from the JunoCam instrument," according to NASA. But the space agency only just revealed the image last week, sharing the spooky spectacle to social media on October 25 in honor of the famed cubist painter Pablo Picasso's birthday. "OK. I like it. Picasso!" the agency wrote in an [X-formerly-Twitter post]() last Wednesday, arguing that the countenance "resembles a Cubist portrait displaying multiple perspectives." We do see what NASA's getting at with the Picasso reference, though we may still argue that the hollow-eyed figure, half-shrouded in darkness, has more of a horror-surrealist edge — perfect for All Hallow's Eve, say. https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1717326003687559533 ## Pareidolia According to NASA, though, seeing faces in Jupiter's swirling, stormy clouds isn't anything new. "As often occurs in views from Juno," NASA wrote in the image's description, "Jupiter's clouds in this picture lend themselves to pareidolia, the effect that causes observers to perceive faces or other patterns in largely random patterns." In other words, NASA says, we're just as likely to see faces in Jupiter's clouds as we are to see human-like visages in [tree stumps or toast]() — or, of course, in other celestial bodies, like the [famous Man on the Moon]() or in the figure seen in [Mars' Cydonia region](). Per NASA, the image was taken from approximately 4,800 miles above Jupiter's cloud tops. And though the whole half-covered-in-darkness thing certainly adds to the creepiness of the face, NASA also noted that the "low angle of sunlight highlights the complex topography of features in this region, which scientists have studied to better understand the processes playing out in Jupiter's atmosphere." So, the creepier the lighting, the better for science, apparently! Again, there's not actually an [Imhotep Sand Cloud]() figure moving through Jupiter's poisonous air. But in case you didn't have a Halloween costume for tonight and were hoping to explore some extremely niche space-themed options, get yourself some blue-greige face paint, and you'll be golden. **More on NASA snaps:** [*James Webb Spots Numerous Pairs of Planets, Hanging out with No Stars*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]()