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New Horizons Photographs Earth Sized Storm

Posted by samzenpus on from the bring-an-unbrella dept.

Matthew Sparkes writes "The New Horizons spacecraft has taken the closest ever photos of Jupiter's Little Red Spot, which is actually a storm the size of Earth which has been raging since 2005. New Horizons targeted the storm when it passed Jupiter to gain speed for its journey to Pluto. The source of the red hue remains an open question. Some scientists believe hurricane-like winds lift material from beneath Jupiter's cloud-tops up to an altitude where radiation from the Sun can chemically alter it, producing the red colour. Scientists have estimated that winds in the storm were whipping around the atmosphere at 180 metres per second."

6 of 31 comments (clear)

  1. What are the materials? by stratjakt · · Score: 2, Funny

    That get whipped up? Whats jupiter made of? Cheese? Cuz I like cheese.

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    I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
  2. reading between the media hype by weighn · · Score: 5, Funny
    while stuck in some outer planet backwater bar, I overheard Jupiter's disgruntled manager - after one too many Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters (ie one) - dejected over recent interest in Saturn.

    "Damn that Saturn to hell! It's smaller, it has less moons, its further away from ALL the major hotels in the solar system. It's more eccentric and possibly on drugs."

    "My job should be easy. I manage the best darn gas-giant in town - but getting press is damn near impossible!"

    "'Ohhh! Look at its pretty rings!' They quip. Simpletons. 'Ohh. Geometric shape!' BIG DEAL! Haven't they spun a bucket of water and looked inside?! My guy has rings too! And some pretty neat storms. Why can't those paparazzi scum run a story on that? God knows my gaseous client gets enough exposure, what with these sling-shot detours and such..."

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    Mongrel News all the news that fits and froths
  3. Re:Speed by FMota91 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who in their right minds decided to use 180 metres a second? Scientists.
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    09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C1 bottles of beer on the wall. Take one down, pass it round... Oh, umm...
  4. Picture by T-Bone-T · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "Click to enlarge". Ok. That's all you got? I was hoping for larger.

  5. Re:FYI by Rick+Genter · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'll allow someone else figure out how many Libraries of Congress per fortnight that would be.


    No, no, no. The standard unit for speed is furlongs per fortnight. And 180 meters per second is 1,082,319.26 furlongs per fortnight.
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    Don't underestimate the power of The Source
  6. What century are you in? by argent · · Score: 2, Funny

    Call it 432mph and it'll make a lot more sense.

    Wake up man, this is the century of the fruitbat! Use the metric system (named after Compte Nobee Metric, inventor of the steam pantechnicon and the pornograph) like NASA has ever since that Mars probe was lost because they were calculating fuel in hogsheads rather than barrels.