Why is there a big red spot on Jupiter?

Why is there a big red spot on Jupiter?

Some scientists think the red color comes from chemicals burrowed deep beneath the storm’s cloud tops. But other researchers say the rusty color comes from sunlight splitting up various chemicals in the storm’s upper atmosphere, which would mean the rest of the Great Red Spot is actually not very red at all.

What is the great big red dot on Jupiter?

Great Red Spot, a long-lived enormous storm system on the planet Jupiter and the most conspicuous feature of its visible cloud surface. It is generally reddish in colour, slightly oval in shape, and approximately 16,350 km (10,159 miles) wide—large enough to engulf Earth.

Is the Great Red Spot still on Jupiter?

As for the fate of the Great Red Spot—whether it will continue churning for many years to come, or eventually shrink and disappear altogether—that answer is still hidden behind Jupiter’s clouds.

How long does it take Jupiter to spin on its axis?

10 hours
Jupiter is the fastest spinning planet in our Solar System, rotating on average once in just under 10 hours. That is very fast, especially considering how large Jupiter is. This means that Jupiter has the shortest day of all the planets in the Solar System.

Does the Big Red Spot move?

Both move counterclockwise. The massive storm’s crimson-colored clouds spin counterclockwise at speeds that exceed 400 miles per hour – and the vortex is bigger than Earth itself. The red spot is legendary in part because humans have observed it for more than 150 years.

Is called Earth twin?

Venus is sometimes called Earth’s twin because Venus and Earth are almost the same size, have about the same mass (they weigh about the same), and have a very similar composition (are made of the same material). Venus also rotates backwards compared to Earth and the other planets.

Why does Jupiter have a red spot?

The red colour of the Great Red Spot is thought to be caused by organic molecules, red phosphorous, or other elements that come from inside Jupiter. Some theories propose that the colour is caused by reactions between these chemicals in Jupiter’s atmosphere, or by lightning striking the molecules.

What is Jupiter’s Big Red Spot?

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is a giant oval of crimson-coloured clouds in Jupiter’s southern hemisphere that race counterclockwise around the oval’s perimeter. The biggest storm in the solar system, it appears as a deep red orb surrounded by layers of pale yellow, orange and white. Trapped between two jet streams,…

Why is Jupiter’s Great Red Spot shrinking?

Now it’s a circle that’s 16 500km across. And it is shrinking at a rate of 933km a year. One possible explanation for the spot’s red colour is that the storm is so powerful it dredges material from beneath Jupiter’s cloud tops and lifts it to higher altitudes.

Does Jupiter have a storm spot?

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. Nov 26 2019