One of Jupiter's stripes that faded out making a comeback

New NASA images show that one of Jupiter's dark brown stripes that 'disappeared' last spring is now showing signs of a comeback.

These new observations will help scientists better understand the interaction between Jupiter's winds and cloud chemistry.

Earlier this year, amateur astronomers noticed that the long-standing stripe, known as the South Equatorial Belt (SEB), just south of Jupiter's equator, had turned white.

In early November, amateur astronomer Christopher Go of Cebu City in the Philippines observed a prominent bright spot in the unusually whitened belt, piquing the interest of professional and amateur astronomers around the world.

After follow-up observations with NASA's Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF), the 10m Keck telescope and the 8m Gemini telescope, all atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, and elsewhere now believe the stripe is now showing signs of a comeback.