Jupiter's Great Red Spot Has Companion

[WhiteTara]

this is my night of planetary fascination

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/05/science/space/05jupiter.html


isn't that beautiful?

For the past few months, astronomers have tracked an emerging second red spot on Jupiter, at left, a growing rival about one-half the diameter of the planet's trademark Great Red Spot. The Hubble Space Telescope has now snapped the first detailed pictures of what some observers are calling Red Spot Jr.

Astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore said this was the first time scientists had witnessed the birth of one of these huge oval spots, presumably a convective phenomenon like a powerful thunderstorm. The Great Red Spot was already present when observers first looked with telescopes at the planet some 400 years ago.

Though Red Spot Jr. is half the size, the astronomers said it appeared in near-infrared images to be as bright in Jupiter's cloudy atmosphere as its large companion. They suggested that the new storm might rise higher above the main cloud deck than the older spot.

tiny bit more

[Lib Grrrrl]

1. Now THAT Is Major-League Interesting!!

gonna have to have a look with my telescope...

[Canuckistanian]

2. Wasn't there some other news about Jupiter this week?

Something about it's rotational speed changing.

I'm not sure now if it's faster or slower but it's apparently off by about seven minutes.

[Delphinus]

4. I remember reading something about

climate change on Jupiter - I'll see if I can find it.

[Mikimouse]

3. "All of these worlds are yours, but Europa...

Do not attempt to land on Europa." I wonder what Arthur C. Clarke thinks about this?