Jupiter grows new red spot

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

A new red spot has begun to grow on Jupiter. This new storm, “Oval BA,” also known as “Red Jr.” first appeared in the year 2000, and has recently started to change colors. In November, Oval BA was white. Slowly, the storm turned brown in December, and in the last few weeks the storm has become red.

 

Oval BA is about half the size of the Great Red Spot, and almost the exact same color.

 

Nobody knows exactly why the spot is red, but a popular theory is that the storm dredges material from deep beneath the cloud tops to high altitudes, where a chemical reaction between ultraviolet radiation and the material occurs.

 

If this theory is correct, Oval BA is most likely intensifying. The deepening red may be a sign that the storm is lifting material higher than before.

 

“Some of Jupiter’s white ovals have appeared slightly reddish before, for example in late 1999, but not often and not for long. It will indeed be interesting to see if Oval BA becomes permanently red,” says John Rogers, author of the book “Jupiter: The Giant Planet.”

 

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060303_jupiter_spot.html

[insane_alien]

oooo purty

[RyanJ]

Pretty damn cool. If I get a clear night up here will get my telescope out and have a look

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[ydoaPs]

about how fast are the windspeeds?

[RyanJ]

about how fast are the windspeeds?

 

 

Near the equator about 600KM/h I believe... pretty fast

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[ydoaPs]

that's some good kite flying!

[AzurePhoenix]

Change the books forever, pluralize the red spots. I love it when the next generation gets to learn something completely different. Hoorah for history in the making.

[RyanJ]

Change the books forever, pluralize the red spots. I love it when the next generation gets to learn something completely different. Hoorah for history in the making.

 

Red spots, sounds like Jupiter has acne...

 

Unfortunatly the sky have been unleashing snow here so I have been unable to check it out for mysel.

 

Cheers,

 

Ryan Jones

[sunspot]

The new red spot is interesting in several ways. First, it tells us we do not know the true composition of Jupiter. In other words, based on what we assume Jupiter composed of, there are no good combinations of these chems that will make red with or without UV. Also solar UV may be far fetched considering the distance to jupiter. The distance from the sun also seems to imply that jupiter is providing its own internal heat for the storms.

 

On earth, storms are dependant on water or the condensation of water. This exothermic condensation potential and the partial vacuum it pulls when water vapor becomes liquid is what drives earth storm. Both red spots would suggest some type of surface evaporation/condensation mechanism, that provides the vauccum and exothermic potential in the upper atmosphere of jupiter. The heat,color and fixed position in the wind bands, may imply something simple like volcanic ash full of condenseable gas and a minerial that glows red.