Surprising observations were recorded about the shape and movement of the astral phenomenon. They note that this is the first time that they have had an “adequate cadence” for their images.
New observations were recorded of the Jupiter’s Great Red Spot (GRS), showing that the 190-year storm It moves like jelly and changes shape. The unexpected images were captured between December and March by the Hubble Space Telescope.
The observations were made over 90 days and indicate that the Great Red Spot is not as stable as it seems, according to astronomers. Its shape changes are seen expanding and contracting like a stress ball.
What observations of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot reveal
The main author of the study, Amy Simonmaintains: “Although we knew that its movement varies slightly in its length, “We didn’t expect to see the size also fluctuate.”. “As far as we know, it had not been identified before,” the planetary scientist concluded in the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Marylandin a statement.
“This is really the first time we’ve had the right imaging cadence from the GRS,” Simon said. The researchers described the observation in an analysis published in The Planetary Science Journal.
The presentation of the study was made this Wednesday at the 56th annual meeting of the Division of Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society in Boise, Idaho.
GRS_Jupiter 2024.jpg
Courtesy: CNN en Español
Other findings about Jupiter’s Great Red Spot
Recently, a separate team of astronomers examined the heart of the phenomenon with the James Webb Space Telescope, with infrared light. A revelation is that the The center of the GRS is cold, causing ammonia and water to condense within the vortex and create dense clouds..
It was also detected phosphine inside the storm. This could generate “those mysterious” red colors that make the Great Red Spot so iconic, said the study’s co-author. Leigh Fletcher in a statement.
The study was published on September 27 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets.
What is Jupiter’s Great Red Spot?
The GRS is an anticycloneor a large circulation of winds in Jupiter’s atmosphere, which revolves around a central area of high pressure along the planet’s southern mid-latitude cloud belt. The long lasting storm is so big that the Earth could fit inside it.
Although the storms are considered unstable, The Great Red Spot has persisted for almost two centuries. However, the changes in the storm appear to be related to its movement and size.
Source: Ambito
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