February 20, 2023
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is a massive, hurricane-like storm. This particular storm most likely formed in the 1870s. Transformations of this storm have been observed throughout its existence. The Great Red Spot changes size over time and grows and shrinks as it interacts with other storms in Jupiter’s atmosphere. The color of the storm also varies from a light pink to a deep red, and scientists are still unsure why this change occurs.
This image of Jupiter – and it’s moon Europa – was taken in August 2020 by the Hubble Space Telescope. In addition to the Great Red Spot, it is possible to see a smaller storm just beneath it. This storm began as three smaller cyclones that merged in the early 2000s and is often referred to as “Red Spot Jr.”. It is still active on Jupiter as of today. Image credit: NASA/ESA/A. Simon (GSFC)/M. H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley)/OPAL team
To track the movement of this storm, visit: https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/junocam/discussion?POI=94