Let’s take a dive into 'The Great Red Spot'; NASA reveals new information on Solar System’s most famous storm

NewsBharati    12-Dec-2017
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New York, December 12: We all know about various storms on our planet but it’s time to move on from Earth’s storm to Jupiter’s storm. NASA’s Juno spacecraft has come up with new information about the Great Red Spot, the zone in Jupiter which produces a gigantic storm on the planet. It penetrates well below the clouds about 300 kilometers into the planet's atmosphere, new data from JUNO reveals.

 

 

Juno data indicate that the solar system's most famous storm is almost one-and-a-half Earths wide, and has roots that penetrate about 200 miles (300 kilometers) into the planet's atmosphere. Juno's Microwave Radiometer (MWR) which has the unique capability to peer deep below Jupiter's clouds has helped to inform in-depth revelation.

Juno found that the Great Red Spot's roots go 50 to 100 times deeper than Earth's oceans and are warmer at the base than they are at the top. Winds are associated with differences in temperature, and the warmth of the spot's base explains the ferocious winds that can be seen at the top of the atmosphere.

The storm has been monitored since 1830, it has possibly existed for more than 350 years. In the 19th century, the Great Red Spot was well over two Earths wide. But in modern times, the Great Red Spot appears to be diminishing in size, as measured by Earth-based telescopes and spacecraft.

Juno also has detected a new radiation zone, just above the gas giant's atmosphere, near the equator. The zone includes energetic hydrogen, oxygen and sulfur ions moving at almost light speed. Juno also has detected a new radiation zone, just above the gas giant's atmosphere, near the equator. The zone includes energetic hydrogen, oxygen and sulfur ions moving at almost light speed.