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Jupiter's Great Red Spot Is Shrinking

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the like-my-will-to-live dept.

cjstaples noted a CNN story proclaiming that Jupiter's signature red spot is shrinking. Over a 10 year study, the giant storm lost just over half a kilometer per day for a total loss of about 15%. Scientists know about shrinkage, right?

26 of 270 comments (clear)

  1. meme tag stole my post by tjstork · · Score: 4, Funny

    Here I was ready to make some crack about how global warming is causing jupiter's red spot to shrink and this shows that the sun is having some other effect, and there it is in the tags:

    "globalwarming manbearpig globalshrinking...."

    totally burst my bubble, stole my thunder... I might actually have to do some work.

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    1. Re:meme tag stole my post by Thanshin · · Score: 5, Funny

      Here I was ready to make some crack

      I knew it!

      Even drug dealers read Slashdot!

    2. Re:meme tag stole my post by eln · · Score: 5, Funny

      Must you turn something going on on an entirely different planet into a political rant?

      Global warming may or may not be affected by humans (I find it hard to believe that it isn't to at least some degree), but that has nothing at all to do with this story.

      Personally, I think the Red Spot is shrinking because illegal immigrants are taking jobs from the Americans that would normally be maintaining it.

    3. Re:meme tag stole my post by DikSeaCup · · Score: 4, Funny

      No, the Red Spot shrinking is a sign that communism is failing.

      --
      I talk about stuff.
    4. Re:meme tag stole my post by interkin3tic · · Score: 2, Funny

      'Natural' doesn't equate to "OK".

      I reject this on principle! Natural = better! Tons of infomercials for herbal supplements have implicitly told me so! Just look at ginseng, herbal tea, cyanide, tobacco, botulin, the plague, male pattern baldness, and dying of old age at 30. All good reasons why natural equates to better!

  2. In Jupiter's Defense by eldavojohn · · Score: 4, Funny

    Scientists know about shrinkage, right?

    Let me just point out that it's very cold in space. Even with the sun nearby, I think we'd all experience at least a little bit of shrinkage if we were in Jupiter's position and it's not fair for the other planets to laugh at him.

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    1. Re:In Jupiter's Defense by fracai · · Score: 2, Funny

      ... it's not fair for the other planets to laugh at him.

      I don't think the other planets are listening to you as I'm pretty sure I can hear Pluto laughing from here; something about "serves you right!".

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      -- i am jack's amusing sig file
    2. Re:In Jupiter's Defense by girlintraining · · Score: 5, Funny

      Let me just point out that it's very cold in space. Even with the sun nearby, I think we'd all experience at least a little bit of shrinkage if we were in Jupiter's position and it's not fair for the other planets to laugh at him.

      Venus: That's what every man says. The truth is, you're just upset that Saturn has over 200 satellites to your... uhh... 63. Plus, you've completely lost control of your weight these past few millenia and have horrible acne. Seriously, clean up your atmosphere and do something about those red splotches and maybe you'll have a chance with some of the inner planets.

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    3. Re:In Jupiter's Defense by Chris+Burke · · Score: 4, Funny

      Let me just point out that it's very cold in space. Even with the sun nearby, I think we'd all experience at least a little bit of shrinkage if we were in Jupiter's position and it's not fair for the other planets to laugh at him.

      Well we sure have no room to laugh. Jupiter's spot, shrinkage and all, is still several times bigger than our entire planet.

      Saturn probably has the right for a chuckle or two, though, and Neptune might join in. Uranus as usual will just try to avoid attention since it always ends up with it being made fun of.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    4. Re:In Jupiter's Defense by ArsonSmith · · Score: 2, Funny

      Wow grandpa, did you know Galileo personally?

      Pluto a planet?!? That was like what the people that thought the earth was flat thought, right?

      --
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  3. Red spot shrinking? by Thanshin · · Score: 5, Funny

    Perfect time to send some spam to Jupiter.

  4. The birth of europa? by new_breed · · Score: 3, Funny

    Please tell me there will be a 2010 joke in here somewhere...don't dissapoint me moviegeeks!

    1. Re:The birth of europa? by mmkkbb · · Score: 2, Funny

      You could have just, I dunno, made one.

      **spoiler!!!**

      I wonder if Clarke chose that year because a craft leaving Earth in 2010 would arrive at Jupiter in 2012 and thus the Leonov would witness the birth of a new sun just as the world is ending!

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      -mkb
    2. Re:The birth of europa? by click2005 · · Score: 2, Funny

      2010: The Space Oxy??

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  5. How about color? by Tibor+the+Hun · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's not getting blacker by chance is it?

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    1. Re:How about color? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      OMG its full of ponies!

  6. When it's done.. by spurious+cowherd · · Score: 3, Funny

    ..we need to make sure we stay away from Europa

    --

    Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana.

  7. Time for a bailout by Lord+Byron+II · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let me be the first to say that the Great Red Spot is too big to fail!

  8. 2010 by HunterZ · · Score: 3, Funny

    We should see if we can get the Russians to take US scientists along on a ship next year to investigate.

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  9. Aw, Jupiter is finally out of puberty! by cwiegmann24 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Jupiter's acne is finally clearing up! Should really do something about all those brown and white rings though... I mean, take a shower once in a while

  10. Monolith by koterica · · Score: 2, Funny

    In a related story, NASA has announced the first manned mission to Jupiter, the purpose of which is to examine a large rectangular black object sitting in synchronous orbit above the storm.

  11. Re:Let's celebrate! by timkar · · Score: 2, Funny

    Isn't it enough just not to believe?

    No, we must also mock. Mock heartily. That's what we do in this country.

  12. Don't worry by rockbottoms · · Score: 2, Funny

    The Great Red Spot will start to grow again next month

  13. Jupiter confirms it: Red Storm Linux is dying! by Chris+Burke · · Score: 2, Funny

    Another crippling bombshell hit the already beleaguered Red Storm Linux community today when Jupiter...

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    The enemies of Democracy are
  14. #$%! economy by n1ckml007 · · Score: 3, Funny

    No the red spot is shrinking due to wind cut backs.

  15. Another venus is coming! by SnarfQuest · · Score: 2, Funny

    Anyone remember Immanuel Velikovsky http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worlds_in_Collision

    Could this be just the preliminaries for another Venus ejection event?

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