Author Topic: The Great Red Spot is unraveling.  (Read 1452 times)

Offline Conrad

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The Great Red Spot is unraveling.
« on: June 08, 2019, 06:35:35 AM »
http://spaceweather.com/

WHAT'S HAPPENING TO THE GREAT RED SPOT? The biggest storm in the solar system is shrinking. Since mid-May, Jupiter's Great Red Spot has contracted a startling 3000 km, reducing the size of the anti-cyclone by more than 20%. This 10-day movie created by Marco Vedovato of the JUPOS Project shows what's happening:



Enormous rivulets of red gas are streaming away from the storm as it spins. "This is something we've never seen before," says Vedovato, who assembled the animation by stitching together images from nearly a dozen amateur astronomers.

Experienced observers say the storm is "getting a new shape every day" in a "dramatic metamorphasis" as the Red Spot "appears to be unravelling."

Consider it a case of perfect timing. Jupiter is about to make its annual closest approach to Earth--"only" 641 million km away on June 12th. Proximity makes the planet big and bright, shining almost four times brighter than Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. Astrophotographers are therefore getting a fantastic view of the GRS.


Jupiter rising over Bluff, Utah. Photo credit: Paul Martini

"The JUPOS Project manages the largest Jupiter database in the world," says Vedovato. "So far we have collected more than 1 million measurements, including old images and drawings from the 18th century, allowing us to plot very precise trends in the Great Red Spot." This plot, for instance, shows the sudden decrease in the storm's diameter since early May.

Observing tips: Finding Jupiter is easy. Because the giant planet is at opposition, it rises in the east at sunset and stays up all night long. The best time to look is around local midnight when Jupiter is hanging relatively high in the southern sky. Even small telescopes will reveal the planet's oblate disk and stormy cloud belts. And Jupiter's 4 largest moons can be seen using no more than handheld binoculars.
Northern Illinois   Silverdammit '08 C-14 ABS

"Don't bother me with facts, Son. I've already made up my mind." -Foghorn Leghorn

Offline Nosmo

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Re: The Great Red Spot is unraveling.
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2019, 09:00:27 AM »
Fascinating.  We have so much to learn it is mind-boggling.  Thanks for watching out for this stuff and posting to our attention.

BUT...remember what happened the last time Jupiter unwent change.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38EDhpxzn2g
A life undreamed is a waste.  A dream unlived is a sin.

Offline Conrad

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Re: The Great Red Spot is unraveling.
« Reply #2 on: June 09, 2019, 06:55:38 AM »
Let's hope that doesn't happen!!!    ;)
Northern Illinois   Silverdammit '08 C-14 ABS

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Offline gPink

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Re: The Great Red Spot is unraveling.
« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2019, 07:26:43 AM »
Global warming ?

Offline Conrad

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Re: The Great Red Spot is unraveling.
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2019, 09:05:37 AM »
Global warming ?

Washington windbags?
Northern Illinois   Silverdammit '08 C-14 ABS

"Don't bother me with facts, Son. I've already made up my mind." -Foghorn Leghorn

Offline gPink

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Re: The Great Red Spot is unraveling.
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2019, 06:40:03 PM »
535

Offline MrPepsi

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Re: The Great Red Spot is unraveling.
« Reply #6 on: June 10, 2019, 10:00:28 AM »
That's no storm, that's the smoke stack from Jupiter's inhabitant's pollution control station. Looks like they have significantly improved their filtration system and are emitting far less harmful pollutants into the upper atmosphere. Good news for the 500 billion residents.
Brent Johnson 
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Offline MrPepsi

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Re: The Great Red Spot is unraveling.
« Reply #7 on: June 10, 2019, 10:02:09 AM »
Observing tips: Finding Jupiter is easy. Because the giant planet is at opposition, it rises in the east at sunset and stays up all night long. The best time to look is around local midnight when Jupiter is hanging relatively high in the southern sky. Even small telescopes will reveal the planet's oblate disk and stormy cloud belts. And Jupiter's 4 largest moons can be seen using no more than handheld binoculars.

Looks like I may need to carry my telescope down to the beach.
Brent Johnson 
2009 C-14 "Razzi"

Offline just gone

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Re: The Great Red Spot is unraveling.
« Reply #8 on: June 10, 2019, 10:52:44 AM »
Hmmm....after literally putting a ruler to my screen, I actually see no difference in size from the beginning to the end of that series of photos. I do see the streams of red material shredding away in the flow, but no actual size change in the storm itself.
 Apparently I'm not very good at this stuff. I'm thinking it might be time to pass my telescopes on to the grand-kids. They (the telescopes) seem to be covered in dust anyway.  :-[

Offline MrPepsi

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Re: The Great Red Spot is unraveling.
« Reply #9 on: June 10, 2019, 11:31:01 AM »
Hmmm....after literally putting a ruler to my screen, I actually see no difference in size from the beginning to the end of that series of photos. I do see the streams of red material shredding away in the flow, but no actual size change in the storm itself.
 Apparently I'm not very good at this stuff. I'm thinking it might be time to pass my telescopes on to the grand-kids. They (the telescopes) seem to be covered in dust anyway.  :-[

Try this one.
https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/15may_grs

Keep in mind, when it's the size of THREE earths in diameter, a tiny change is monumental.
Brent Johnson 
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Offline Boomer

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Re: The Great Red Spot is unraveling.
« Reply #10 on: June 18, 2019, 04:01:06 AM »
The Great Boogeddydoo Monster is eating it,..... and YOU'RE NEXT!  :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
It was always just a temporary storm (just a few hundred years old) and is now blowing itself out.
George "Boomer" Garratt
Wickford, UK


Offline MrPepsi

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Re: The Great Red Spot is unraveling.
« Reply #11 on: June 18, 2019, 08:03:28 AM »
(just a few hundred years old)

That's something I didn't know, but I googled it and the site I found said it's been there since we started looking so they don't know when it began.
Brent Johnson 
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Offline Boomer

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Re: The Great Red Spot is unraveling.
« Reply #12 on: June 25, 2019, 04:30:37 AM »
That's something I didn't know, but I googled it and the site I found said it's been there since we started looking so they don't know when it began.
Correctamundo, but they are certain it is temporary on a geological timescale so a few hundred years old, maybe even a few thousand.
George "Boomer" Garratt
Wickford, UK


Offline Conrad

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Re: The Great Red Spot is unraveling.
« Reply #13 on: June 25, 2019, 06:25:40 AM »
The Great Boogeddydoo Monster is eating it,..... and YOU'RE NEXT!  :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao:
It was always just a temporary storm (just a few hundred years old) and is now blowing itself out.

That's something I didn't know, but I googled it and the site I found said it's been there since we started looking so they don't know when it began.

Correctamundo, but they are certain it is temporary on a geological timescale so a few hundred years old, maybe even a few thousand.

Everything is temporary...
Northern Illinois   Silverdammit '08 C-14 ABS

"Don't bother me with facts, Son. I've already made up my mind." -Foghorn Leghorn