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Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Hubble's Jupiter and the Amazing Shrinking Great Red Spot
NASA ^ | May 17, 2014 | (see photo credit)

Posted on 05/17/2014 5:30:04 AM PDT by SunkenCiv

Explanation: Gas giant Jupiter is the solar system's largest world with about 320 times the mass of planet Earth. It's also known for a giant swirling storm system, the Great Red Spot, featured in this sharp Hubble image from April 21. Nestled between Jupiter-girdling cloud bands, the Great Red Spot itself could still easily swallow Earth, but lately it has been shrinking. The most recent Hubble observations measure the spot to be about 10,250 miles (16,500 kilometers) across. That's the smallest ever measured by Hubble and particularly dramatic when compared to 14,500 miles measured by the Voyager 1 and 2 flybys in 1979, and historic telescopic observations from the 1800s indicating a width of about 25,500 miles on its long axis. Current indications are that the rate of shrinking is increasing for the long-lived Great Red Spot.

May 17, 2014

(Excerpt) Read more at 129.164.179.22 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Astronomy Picture of the Day; Science
KEYWORDS: apod; astronomy; greatredspot; jupiter; littleredspot; science
[Credit: NASA, ESA, and Amy Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center) et al.]

1 posted on 05/17/2014 5:30:04 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
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To: brytlea; cripplecreek; decimon; bigheadfred; KoRn; Grammy; steelyourfaith; Mmogamer; dayglored; ...
The Big One is only 1000 pixels, vs 900 pixels for the "thumbnail".
The Big One

2 posted on 05/17/2014 5:30:59 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: SunkenCiv

Another victim of our lack of response to global warming


3 posted on 05/17/2014 5:32:58 AM PDT by Raycpa
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To: SunkenCiv
Hubble's Jupiter and the Amazing Shrinking Great Red Spot


4 posted on 05/17/2014 5:35:20 AM PDT by mountn man (The Pleasure You Get From Life Is Equal To The Attitude You Put Into It)
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To: SunkenCiv

Climate change


5 posted on 05/17/2014 5:36:06 AM PDT by School of Rational Thought
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To: SunkenCiv

6 posted on 05/17/2014 5:44:32 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: SunkenCiv

Wonder if its contracting and strengthening like a hurricane?

Juno is due to arrive at Jupiter in 2016.


7 posted on 05/17/2014 5:47:38 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin.)
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To: SunkenCiv

Weird. the surrounding clouds make the spot look like a
frightened eye, as if it knows its time is coming to an end.


8 posted on 05/17/2014 6:38:41 AM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: SunkenCiv

I wonder what Jupiter looks like beneath the clouds. I believe I read somewhere that it has about an Earth sized solid core, which is surrounded by a liquid metal of some kind(don’t recall exactly).


9 posted on 05/17/2014 8:31:13 AM PDT by KoRn (Department of Homeland Security, Certified - "Right Wing Extremist")
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To: SunkenCiv

Please add me to your ping list. I always enjoy looking at the great pic’s in your posts.

Thanks for your efforts.


10 posted on 05/17/2014 10:23:39 AM PDT by Nacho Bidnith (The Govt's war on drugs was the setup for war on the American People)
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