+Frank B. Subscriber² Posted May 16, 2014 Subscriber² Share Posted May 16, 2014 Watch the Remarkable Shrinking of Jupiter?s Great Red Spot Jupiter?s Great Red Spot ? one of the most iconic and well known features in the solar system ? is shrinking, and nobody knows why. The Great Red Spot is a gigantic cyclone swirling around in the atmosphere of Jupiter. Winds whip at several hundred miles per hour inside this great storm. The first definitive observation of the spot in Earth telescopes was done by Samuel Heinrich Schwabe in 1831, so we know its been around at least that long, but it may have been observed as far back as the late 1600s. When Schwabe saw it, the Great Red Spot was gauged to be more than 25,000 miles across, large enough for three planet Earths to sit side by side within it. The Great Red Spot seen at three different years and sizes: in 1995, 2009, and 2014. Image: NASA and ESA But sightings since the 1930s have shown the spot shrinking. A recent Hubble photo (seen above) observes the Great Red Spot at its smallest size yet ?- just over 10,000 miles across, barely big enough for 1.3 Earths to fit inside. Scientists are studying small eddies at the edge of the storm that may somehow be sapping it of its strength. Will this monstrous cyclone continue to downsize? Researchers can?t say for sure. Source: Wired Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloatingFatMan Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 Well, all things must end eventually, even storms... Entropy increases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Majesticmerc MVC Posted May 16, 2014 MVC Share Posted May 16, 2014 It seems kind of intuitive that eventually it would disappear. It's basically nothing more than a hurricane on a massive scale right? On a minor side note, Jupiter is a beautiful planet to look at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Jupiter is about to pop out a Moon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shockz Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Global Warming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Monoliths - get your sunglasses ready :ninja: Psyco359 1 Share Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torolol Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 its quite amazing that the swirling persist for centuries, imagine what would happens if such cyclones lasted for centuries on earth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMPSV Posted May 17, 2014 Share Posted May 17, 2014 Monoliths - get your sunglasses ready :ninja: cue 2001 A Space Odyssey & 2010 music :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocM Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 We all know that climate can't change on a global scale without humans, pigs and cows, 99% of all scientists agree on that point. The red spot is larger than Earth. Therefore; 99% of all scientists agree that the alteration in Jupiter's climate must, in fact, be caused by SUV's, cow & pig farts. Maybe some fracked oil wells to boot. Ergo: Humans, their oil wells, cows and pigs exist on Jupiter. QED /s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kriz Posted May 18, 2014 Share Posted May 18, 2014 Pretty interesting if its real, considering its been going for millions of years and its shrunk that much in the space of almost 20 - Quite scary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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