Giant planet: Is the Great Red Spot on Jupiter smaller than thought?
Jupiter's giant hurricane may be younger than previously thought, although astronomer Jean-Dominique Cassini discovered such a spot in 1665.
© NASA/JPL (PIA01527) (details)
In 1979, Jupiter's Great Red Spot, a giant hurricane larger than Earth's, was first detected in detail for the cameras of the Voyager spacecraft.
The most famous feature on Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, is the Great Red Spot (GRF), which dominates the southern hemisphere like a giant's eye. A GRF is actually a giant tornado with a diameter larger than that of the Earth. Winds of up to 450 kilometers per hour blow within it, and this has been observed with telescopes for centuries. But has this storm always been the same since Italian-French astronomer Jean-Dominique Cassini first discovered a red spot on the giant planet in 1665?
Probably not, according to a research group led by Agustín Sánchez Lavega of Spain's Universidad del País Vasco in Bilbao. By evaluating historical sources and computer simulations of Jupiter's atmosphere and flow behavior, the team came to the conclusion that the Great Red Spot visible today is not the one observed by Cassini. In fact, after its discovery in 1665, the first red spot was continuously tracked and described with telescopes until 1713. But after that, such a structure was not reported on Jupiter for 118 years, although the optical quality of telescopes continued to improve during those years. Period. In 1831, the German astronomer Samuel Heinrich Schwabe again discovered a red oval spot on the gas giant, which has been observed continuously ever since and has persisted for more than 193 years to this day.
The Great Red Spot fluctuates greatly in size and width. It currently appears relatively small, only about 1.1 times the width of Earth. Just 50 years ago, images taken by NASA's Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft during their flybys in 1973 and 1974 showed a much wider and more vibrant GRF in color, extending two and a half times the width of Earth. In 1879, the GRF expanded to more than three times the Earth's diameter.
In fact, the current hurricane could dissipate one day, the team's computer simulations suggest. To the north of the hurricane, winds blow west at a speed of 180 kilometers per hour, which is equivalent to a severe hurricane on land. South of the GRF, winds blow east at a speed of 150 kilometers per hour. This creates strong shear in wind speeds in the north-south direction, promoting the formation of strong and large eddies. Depending on conditions, a tornado can grow, contract, or dissipate completely.
Please allow Javascript to maintain the full functionality of Spektrum.de.
“Tv expert. Hardcore creator. Extreme music fan. Lifelong twitter geek. Certified travel enthusiast. Baconaholic. Pop culture nerd. Reader. Freelance student.”
More Stories
Eddie Van Halen – Rolling Stone
11 tips for wrinkle-free clothes and more space in your bag
Vienna is at the top of the world rankings