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Jupiter's Great Red Spot

Jupiter's Great Red Spot


Depicts: Jupiter
Copyright: Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA/NASA) and Amy Simon (Cornell U.)

When 17th-century astronomers first turned their telescopes to Jupiter, they noted a conspicuous reddish spot on the giant planet. This Great Red Spot is still present in Jupiter's atmosphere, more than 300 years later. It is now known that it is a vast storm, spinning like a cyclone. Unlike a low-pressure hurricane in the Caribbean Sea, however, the Red Spot rotates in a counterclockwise direction in the southern hemisphere, showing that it is a high-pressure system. Winds inside this Jovian storm reach speeds of about 270 mph.
Last Update: 1 September 2019
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21-Dec-2024 12:42 UT

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https://sci.esa.int/s/AMmR1VA

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