Date:

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot shrinking in size but not in thickness

Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System, is mainly made up of liquids and gases.

Its clouds are shaped by jet streams, winds and vortices into numerous parallel bands, as well as coloured patches, one of which clearly stands out: the Great Red Spot.

- Advertisement -

This is an Earth-sized anticyclone that has been observed for over 350 years. but has suddenly decreased in size in recent years.

The Great Red Spot is a persistent high-pressure region in the atmosphere of Jupiter, producing an anticyclonic storm, the largest in the Solar System, 22 degrees south of Jupiter’s equator. It has been continuously observed since 1830. Earlier observations from 1665 to 1713 are believed to be of the same storm.

The cloud layer is extremely opaque, making it hard to observe at deeper levels. However, using laboratory experiments, analyses and numerical simulations, scientists at the Institut de Recherche sur les Phénomènes Hors Equilibre (Institute for Research on Non-Equilibrium Processes) (CNRS/Aix-Marseille Université/Ecole Centrale de Marseille) studied the dynamics of large vortices and determined the universal balance of forces that creates them.

Their model is thus able to predict the thickness of the Great Red Spot, which has remained remarkably constant over time despite the reduction in its surface area. The results are published in Nature Physics on 16 March 2020, and will shortly be compared with upcoming observations by NASA’s Juno spacecraft, launched in 2011.

- Advertisement -

CNRS (Délégation Paris Michel-Ange)

Header Image Credit : ESA/Hubble

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is a multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Underwater study reveals remarkable details of WWII German U-Boat

An underwater study using 3D photogrammetry has revealed remarkable details of the U-670, a Type VIIC U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine during World War II.

Intact Roman helmet from First Punic War discovered

Archaeologists have discovered an intact Roman helmet while conducting an underwater study near the Aegadian Islands off Sicily’s western coast.

Ritual tomb discovered in Northern Peru reveals evidence of human sacrifice

Excavations near the Temple of Puémape, an archaeological complex in the San Pedro Lloc district in Peru, have unearthed traces of human sacrifice following the discovery of a ritual tomb.

Archaeologists explore wreck site of revolutionary war gunboat

Archaeologists from the Centre for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation (CMAC) at Texas A&M University have carried out a study of the wreck site of the Philadelphia, a Revolutionary War gunboat.

2,000-year-old Roman bridge found in Aegerten

Archaeologists from the Archaeological Service of the Canton of Bern have uncovered the remains of a 2,000-year-old Roman bridge during excavations near the River Zihl in Aegerten, Switzerland.

Detectorist discovers perfectly preserved posnet

Malcolm Weale, a metal detectorist and self-described history detective, has discovered a perfectly preserved posnet during a survey near Thetford, England.

Time capsule of prehistoric treasures discovered in Swedish bog

Archaeologists from Arkeologerna, part of the State Historical Museums (SHM), have discovered a time capsule of prehistoric treasures in a bog outside Järna in Gerstaberg.

Evidence indicates that early humans braved Britain’s Ice Age

Archaeologists from the University of Cambridge have uncovered evidence that early humans not only lived in Britain more than 700,000 years ago, but braved Britain’s Ice Age 440,000 years ago.