Astronomy Picture of the Day - Hubble's Jupiter and the Shrinking Great Red Spot

APOD.NASA.gov ^ | 9 Jan, 2022 | Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble, OPAL Program, STScI; Processing: Karol Masztalerz

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: What will become of Jupiter's Great Red Spot? Gas giant Jupiter is the solar system's largest world with about 320 times the mass of planet Earth. Jupiter is home to one of the largest and longest lasting storm systems known, the Great Red Spot (GRS), visible to the left. The GRS is so large it could swallow Earth, although it has been shrinking. Comparison with historical notes indicate that the storm spans only about one third of the exposed surface area it had 150 years ago. NASA's Outer Planets Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program has been monitoring the storm more recently using the Hubble Space Telescope. The featured Hubble OPAL image shows Jupiter as it appeared in 2016, processed in a way that makes red hues appear quite vibrant. Modern GRS data indicate that the storm continues to constrict its surface area, but is also becoming slightly taller, vertically. No one knows the future of the GRS, including the possibility that if the shrinking trend continues, the GRS might one day even do what smaller spots on Jupiter have done -- disappear completely.

[MtnClimber]

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For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.

[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list.

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

[sauropod]

Obviously, this has been colorised.

[jimfree]

Climate change.

[MtnClimber]

storm spans only about one third of the exposed surface area it had 150 years ago

GLOBAL WARMING!!!!

[Pontiac]

I wonder if the shrinking storm is related to the Sun’s declining activity.

Nah, it’s Global Warming.

[Neanderthal]

Probably caused by global warming.

[cockroach_magoo]

Climate change.

Obviously caused by human activity and cow farts.

[Williams]

Out! Out! damned spot!

[MtnClimber]

Obviously, this has been colorised.

Probably enhanced color. Here is IR only:

[cicero2k]

Your SUV or wood stove or steak dinner caused this.

[Born to Conserve]

“Obviously, this has been colorised.”

Guessing you didn’t read the caption.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Copious amounts of Preparation H? ;)

I LOVE that photo. The colors are going to make a great award-winning afghan for me at the County Fair, one of these years.

Slowly working my way through all of our planets; some are seriously prettier than others. ;)

[MtnClimber]

Jupiter should be a winner!

[Kenny500c]

If I eat only rabbit food will the red spot grow?

[newfreep]

[Paladin2]

If only I stopped burning Diesel....

[Paladin2]

How’s the Uranus Afghan working out? ;-)

[Kartographer]

Covid of course