Hubble Views Ancient Storm in the Atmosphere of Jupiter
General Information:
What is Hubble Heritage? A monthly showcase of new and archival Hubble images. Go to the Heritage site. 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. The Red Spot is the largest known storm in the solar system. With a diameter of 15,400 miles, it is almost twice the size of the entire Earth and one-sixth the diameter of Jupiter itself. However, the Red Spot does change its shape, size, and color, sometimes dramatically. Such changes are demonstrated in these Hubble telescope pictures.
Fast Facts:
Technical facts about this news release: About this Object Object Name: Jupiter's Great Red Spot Object Description: High-pressure Cyclonic Storm on Jupiter Jupiter's Total Visual Magnitude: -2.6 magnitude (at opposition) Distance to Jupiter: 5.2 Astronomical Units (778 million km or 483 million miles ) Diameter of Jupiter: 142,984 km or 88,789 miles (at equator) Diameter of Great Red Spot: 24,800 km or 15,400 miles (lengthwise) About the Data Instrument and Exposure Dates: WFPC: May 92 WFPC2: Jul 94, Aug 94, Feb 95, Oct 95, Oct 96, Apr 97, Jun 99 Filters: F410M, F439 (B), F555W (V), F673N [SII], F718, F953N [SIII] Principal Astronomers: A. Simon (Cornell U.), R. Beebe (NMSU), and collaborators H. B. Hammel (Space Science Institute, MIT), R. Beebe (NMSU), J. T. Clarke (U. Michigan) , R. A. West (JPL), A. Storrs (STScI), and collaborators H. Bond, C. Christian, J. English, L. Frattare, F. Hamilton, A. Kinney, Z. Levay, K. Noll (The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)) About this Image Image Credit: NASA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) Release Date: August 5, 1999 12:00pm EDT
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*Release Date*:August 5, 1999 12:00 PM (EDT)
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*Title*:Hubble Views Ancient Storm in the Atmosphere of Jupiter
