By Chris Skeldon 
Gerald Eichstad/NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS.
Amalthea's shadow cast over Jupiter's red spot, captured by the Juno spacecraft in March 2024
The storm was observed to fluctuate between December 2023 and March of this year. The fluctuation in its size has not been observed before.
New findings from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope presented at the 56th Annual Meeting of the American Astronomical Society's Division of Planetary Science and Research published Planetary Science Journal revealed unexpected changes in… Big red spot (GRS), Jupiter's massive storm, challenges previous assumptions about its stability.
The storm, known for its distinctive red color and massive size, was visible from its location He swayed in his form Over a 90-day period from December 2023 to March 2024. Scientists have long known that the GRS region is decreasing over the years, but these new observations suggest that it is also “oscillating” dynamically, indicating instability in its structure.
The team responsible for these observations noted that the elliptical shape of the storm is often compact, which resembles… The stress ball is pressed In different directions.
“Although we know that its motion varies slightly in longitude, we did not expect to see its size fluctuate as well,” said lead author Amy Simon from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. This type of volume fluctuation has never been discovered before There are currently no explanations Hydrodynamics of these observations, suggesting that the mechanics behind the storm are more complex than previously thought.
The results come from a first set of observations spaced sufficiently apart in time to allow detailed tracking of GRS movements. Using Hubble's high-resolution imaging capabilities, the researchers observed that the GRS not only fluctuates in shape, but also fluctuates Acceleration and deceleration Over time, he explains IFLScience.
As the storm moves, it interacts with the jet stream to the north and south, and co-researcher Mike Wong of UC Berkeley likens it to a sandwich. “Sliced bread is Had to stand out “When there's a lot of stuff in the middle,” Wong explained, referring to the dynamic forces at play between the storm and surrounding wind patterns.
In addition to its unusual oscillations, the GRS core also offers… Brightness differencesespecially in ultraviolet light, as Hubble observed. The storm appears brighter when it is at its peak, which researchers believe may be related to changes in the amount of fog in the atmosphere.
It was the Great Red Spot, a storm that lasted for at least 150 years decline over the past decadeas noted by NASA's Outer Planet Legacy (OPAL) Program. However, this contraction does not necessarily mean that the storm is weakening or disappearing.
Researchers believe that Winds that pressurize the GRSThis may help, whether from the north or the south, to achieve stability there. “Once it shrinks to that scale, the winds will hold it in place,” Simon said, suggesting that the GRS could continue to exist in a smaller, more stable form.
