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JWST has detected \({{\rm{H}}}_{3}^{+}\) and auroral emissions at Neptune—the only giant planet in the Solar System for which they had proved to be elusive up to now. The observations reveal a factor-of-two cooling of Neptune’s upper atmosphere compared with Voyager 2 data, indicative of energy balance processes acting on a shorter timescale than solar forcing.

The Cassini spacecraft has provided an unprecedented characterisation of seasonal changes on Saturn. Here the authors describe the development of a warm polar vortex in Saturn’s northern summer, and show that the hexagon extends hundreds of kilometres from the troposphere into the stratosphere.

Infrared observations of Jupiter obtained in a 40-yr timespan between 1978 and 2019 show long-term variations of Jupiter’s tropospheric temperature with different periodicities, particularly at tropical latitudes, which often bear some connection with stratospheric temperature fluctuations.

JWST and Keck II spectral observations of Saturn’s moon Titan reveal methyl (CH₃) as well as non-local thermodynamic equilibrium emission bands of CO and CO₂. Imaging shows clouds in Titan’s northern hemisphere at several epochs, with some appearing to evolve in altitude.

An analysis of 24,202 critical cases of COVID-19 identifies potentially druggable targets in inflammatory signalling (JAK1), monocyte–macrophage activation and endothelial permeability (PDE4A), immunometabolism (SLC2A5 and AK5), and host factors required for viral entry and replication (TMPRSS2 and RAB2A).

A global network of researchers was formed to investigate the role of human genetics in SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity; this paper reports 13 genome-wide significant loci and potentially actionable mechanisms in response to infection.

A genome-wide association study of critically ill patients with COVID-19 identifies genetic signals that relate to important host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage that may be targeted by repurposing drug treatments.

The visible–near-infrared spectrum of the dark spot that appeared on Neptune in 2018 indicates the presence of material that makes the aerosol layer at 5 bar darker at visible wavelengths. Such material can come from deeper layers via upwelling or by sublimation of H₂S ice that reveals the darker condensation nuclei.

Saturn's poles exhibit giant swirling cyclones, whereas Jupiter's poles may not. Simulations of giant planet atmospheres suggest that just the right balance of convective storm energy and poleward drift of cyclones may explain Saturn's vortices.

Openshaw and colleagues find myeloid inflammation and complement activation signatures in patients with long COVID who were previously hospitalized.

An investigation using various methods reports an association between adeno-associated virus 2 and paediatric hepatitis of unknown aetiology.

Both Earth and Jupiter have equatorial oscillations in their atmospheres. An analysis of over two decades of observations of Saturn's stratospheric emission finds a similar oscillation. The period is 14.8 ± 1.2 terrestrial years, roughly half of Saturn's year, suggesting the influence of seasonal forcing, as is the case with the Earth's semi-annual oscillation.

Torsional waves extend into the deep interior of Jupiter where they can modulate the outgoing heat flux and couple with Jupiter’s weather layer to generate the observed quasi-periodic oscillations in the cloud deck. Such waves can be used to explore the interior structure of gas giants.

Whole-genome sequencing, transcriptome-wide association and fine-mapping analyses in over 7,000 individuals with critical COVID-19 are used to identify 16 independent variants that are associated with severe illness in COVID-19.

Multi-decade observations of Jupiter’s stratospheric temperatures show that their quasiperiodic oscillation locked into a new period after a major atmospheric perturbation in 1992, from 5.7 years to 3.9 years. This is different from Earth (and presumably from Saturn), where the period returned to its original value after substantial atmospheric disruptions.

The stability over time of the zonal jets on the giant planets has been debated. An analysis of observations from the Cassini spacecraft reveals an acceleration of wind velocities in Saturn’s high-altitude equatorial jet between 2004 and 2009, by 20 m s⁻¹ at tropopause level and by 60 m s⁻¹ in the stratosphere.

Ground-based near-infrared spectra of Uranus detected hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) above the main cloud deck (at a pressure of 1.2–3 bar), suggesting that the bulk sulfur/nitrogen ratio in Uranus’s atmosphere exceeds unity and that the clouds are dominated by H₂S ice.

James Webb Space Telescope observations of Jupiter have unveiled the presence of a narrow and intense atmospheric jet in the equator of the planet near the tropopause. The jet’s speed of 500 km h⁻¹ doubles the speed of the lower clouds. This new jet aligns with temperature and wind oscillations in Jupiter’s stratosphere.

Investigation of variation in three cohorts has identified multiple genetic signals associated with the pregnancy-specific liver disorder, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, giving insight into the disease which can cause preterm birth and stillbirth.

The 2010–2011 storm that appeared at Saturn’s northern mid-latitudes significantly altered the wind structure and atmospheric temperature even far away from the storm, by disrupting the quasi-periodic atmospheric oscillations at the equator for more than 3 years.

Observations from the Juno and Cassini missions provide essential constraints on the internal structures and compositions of Jupiter and Saturn, resulting in profound revisions of our understanding of the interior and atmospheres of Gas Giant planets. The next step to understand planetary origins in our Solar System requires a mission to their Ice Giant siblings, Uranus and Neptune.

A dark, ribbon-like structure at Jupiter’s magnetic equator marks a depletion of ionospheric H₃⁺ caused by a lack of photoelectrons. These photoelectrons, which collide with molecular hydrogen to form H₃⁺, are deviated away by magnetic field lines.

In the Spitzer Space Telescope’s 16 years of operation, it observed many Solar System objects and environments. In this second Review Article of a pair, Spitzer’s insight into asteroids, dust clouds and rings and the ice giant planets are summarized.