Monstrous 'Earth-sized' cyclones detected on Jupiter

A NASA spacecraft has spotted monstrous 'Earth-sized' cyclones churning over of the poles of Jupiter.

The chaotic weather systems were observed by the Juno probe, which has been exploring the gas planet's cloud tops since last year.

Scientists say there are clusters of cyclones near Jupiter's poles which, combined, are as big as Earth.

The largest individual cyclone has a diameter of around 870 miles.

Juno launched in 2011. Pic NASA

Juno, which was launched in 2011, is providing our best ever close-up views of the Solar System's largest planet.

Researchers say that as well as cyclones, Juno has also detected large quantities of ammonia in Jupiter's atmosphere.

The planet also has a surprisingly strong magnetic field, roughly 10 times greater than the Earth's.

Jupiter's diameter is more than 11 times the size of Earth's.

(SKYNEWS)