New red spot appears on Jupiter

Astronomy Magazine website ^ | May 22, 2008 | University of California, Berkeley

[theFIRMbss]

New red spot appears on Jupiter

Feature may be an indicator of global climate change on the planet.


In what's beginning to look like a case of planetary measles, a third red spot has appeared next to its cousins — the Great Red Spot and Red Spot, Jr. — in the turbulent jovian atmosphere.

This spot, which is a fraction of the size of the two other features, lies to the west of the Great Red Spot in the same latitude band of clouds.

The new spot was previously a white, oval-shaped storm. The change to a red color indicates its swirling storm clouds are rising to heights like the clouds of the Great Red Spot. One explanation is that the red storm is so powerful, it dredges material from deep beneath Jupiter's cloud tops, and lifts it to higher altitudes. Solar ultraviolet radiation then produces the familiar brick color.

Detailed analysis of the visible-light images taken by Hubble's Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 on May 9 and 10, and near-infrared adaptive optics images taken by the Keck telescope on May 11, is revealing the relative altitudes of the cloud tops of the three red ovals. Because all three oval storms are bright in near-infrared light, they must be towering above the methane in Jupiter's atmosphere.

Storms first observed on Jupiter more than two years ago are still raging. The Hubble and Keck images also reveal the change from a rather bland, quiescent band surrounding the Great Red Spot just over a year ago to one of incredible turbulence.

Red Spot, Jr., appeared in spring 2006. The Great Red Spot has persisted for 200 to 350 years observations. If the new red spot and the Great Red Spot continue on their courses, they will encounter each other in August, and the small oval will either be absorbed or repelled from the Great Red Spot. Red Spot, Jr. which lies between the two others at a lower latitude, will pass the Great Red Spot in June.

The Hubble and Keck images may support the idea that Jupiter is in the midst of global climate change, as first proposed in 2004 by Phil Marcus, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of California, Berkeley. The planet's temperatures may be changing by 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, getting warmer near the equator and cooler near the south pole. He predicted that large changes would start in the southern hemisphere around 2006, causing the jet streams to become unstable.

[theFIRMbss]

So, how does this work,
first the clouds become covered
with new red spots, then

Jupiter ignites,
the Sun becomes binary,
and nights get brighter?

[theFIRMbss]

ping

[weegee]

Cancer?

Man made global warming?

[Proud2BeRight]

Climate change IS possible without SUVs?

[Diogenesis]

ABC,CBS,NBC,PBS declare that this is Pres. Bush’s fault.

[kjam22]

Hillary says the possibility of a 4th red spot is a valid reason for staying in the race.

[Mr. K]

that would be way too cool

I wonder if jupiter has enough mass to do that?

The sudden releaseof radiation might be worrisome- who knows what a sun gives off when it ignites

[driftdiver]

No not the red spots. Little black domino looking rectangles that multiply very very fast.

Hal?

[theFIRMbss]

>Quaid, turn on the reactor!

This may have become
my favorite tin foil thing.
The whole theory is

the Galileo
spacecraft was carefully rigged
to start reactions

that would end up with
Jupiter turning solar.
As tin foil things go,

the scope is so big
that I give the guys credit
for being good nuts!

---------------------------------------------------------

Did NASA Accidentally “Nuke” Jupiter?

By Richard C. Hoagland, © 2003 The Enterprise Mission

On September 21, 2003 NASA deliberately directed its amazing, still-functioning Galileo spacecraft to make one final, 108,000 mph suicidal plunge into Jupiter’s vast atmosphere. Thus ended the incredibly successful eight-year unmanned NASA Galileo mission … which had returned against all odds an array of phenomenal new information on Jupiter and its “mini-solar system of moons” … in a literal, most fitting “blaze of glory.” ...

[shibumi]

"The Hubble and Keck images may support the idea that Jupiter is in the midst of global climate change, as first proposed in 2004 by Phil Marcus, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of California, Berkeley. The planet's temperatures may be changing by 15 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit, getting warmer near the equator and cooler near the south pole. He predicted that large changes would start in the southern hemisphere around 2006, causing the jet streams to become unstable."


.......but if we all drive 55MPH and stop outdoor grilling, everything will be OK.

[theFIRMbss]

>I wonder if jupiter has enough mass to do that?

The last piece I read
said that Jupiter would need
to be 80 times

its current mass to
reach even brown dwarf size.
I'm hoping some guy

misplaced a decimal
or used bad rounding routines.
I'd like to see it.

[johnny7]

...colonoscopy

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

Absolute PROOF that Man-Made Global Warming is spreading to other Planets! WE MUST ACT FAST! HURRY, WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!

[cripplecreek]

I'd like to see it.

Me too but I'm not so sure it would be a good thing to see from earth. Seems like sparking a star disturbs things quite a bit and we don't need another heavy impact period.

[xcamel]

Cool..

[Boundless]

> Absolute PROOF that Man-Made Global Warming
> is spreading to other Planets!

I for one support the idea of sending Al Gore to
investigate.

[TommyDale]

Al Gore has already purchased his carbon credits for Jupiter.

[MrEdd]

Strange politics needs to add another arrow now.