Jupiter Gets New Red Spot

saskboy writes "The planet Jupiter is growing a new red spot. Jupiter is already well known for its Great Red Spot storm which is visible through modest backyard telescopes, so it will be interesting if this newer spot sticks around and grows. From the article: 'The official name of this storm is Oval BA, but Red Jr. might be better. It's about half the size of the famous Great Red Spot and almost exactly the same color. Oval BA first appeared in the year 2000 when three smaller spots collided and merged. A similar merger centuries ago may have created the original Great Red Spot, a storm twice as wide as our planet and at least 300 years old.'"

Comments

The Domino Theory Confirmed!

[Nova Express]

First one communist spot appears. Now, 300 years later, another one! At this rate, all of Jupiter will be communist in less than 40,000 years.

It's up to us to rescue them. Thinking of the millions of innocent Jovians rotting away in their oppressive gaseous Gulags...

GW

[addaon]

Just try to deny global warming now, Republicans! We have proof!

...and just before the big date with Venus

[DoctorHibbert]

It was funny in my head.

It's time for the Sun...

[brian0918]

It's time for the Sun to sit down and have the old birds/bees chat with Jupiter. The planet will start going through some big changes these next few millenia. The fraction of helium in the atmosphere will drop significantly. Its albedo will grow wildly. New rings will start appearing at odd angles. It's nothing to be ashamed of... all gas giants go through this phase of development.

Excellent

[Anonymous Coward]

This is excellent, because the Great Red Spot has become less great and less red over recent years. When I first spotted it through a scope, it was a pretty impressive sight. Lately it has changed to become a less intense colour, leading some observers to give it names like "the Great Salmon Spot" or the "Great Brownish Smudge". It is also shrinking - being half the size it was 100 years ago.

The creation of new spots has been predicted (as part of the rapid "climate change" that has been affecting Jupiter over the past few years) and is all probably cyclical, but I was somehow excited by reading this news.

Atmosphere probe?

[MichaelSmith]

The article doesn't say much about what is causing these huge weather patterns to be so stable on Jupiter, and the reason is that we actually know very little about what goes on underneath the outer layers of cloud.

Our one and only atmosphere probe was a surprising success, but it was not built to last. A different probe, supported by a balloon rather than a parachute, was flown on venus and it worked well.

I think it is time to have another go at a jupiter atmosphere probe. This time try for a hot hydrogen balloon, heated by an RTG. If we don't do the basic research we will never understand the biggest planet in our solar system.

I'm betting it is herpes

[SensitiveMale]

After all, he is right next to that slut Saturn.

Re:I'm betting it is herpes

[republican gourd]

Err... Saturn is his father.

Obligatory Chicago comment

[gbobeck]

"...a storm twice as wide as our planet and at least 300 years old."

Sounds like the typical Chicago winter...

Re:Advice:

[jrockway]

True, but do you really want to hang out with a "gas giant"? I think not.