According to researchers reviewing Hubble’s frequent “storm reports,” massive storms in Jupiter’s Great Red Spot might consume the entire planet.
The average wind speed in the Great Red Spot has been steadily increasing over the last few decades. Because humans have been observing the Red Spot for more than 150 years, it has become legendary.
Researchers discovered that the boundaries of the Red Spot have extended by up to 8% from 2009 to 2020, and wind speeds reach 400 miles per hour, thanks to images acquired by NASA’s Hubble space telescope.
The Great Red Spot existed before 1665 , and was first seen in 1830 . The first sighting is often credited to Robert Hooke . The current diameter of the Great Red Spot is 1600 km across, which means Earth could still fit inside it .
Hubble is the only telescope that has the kind of temporal coverage and spatial resolution that can capture Jupiter’s winds in this detail.
Dr. Wong added: “This is something only Hubble can do. Hubble’s longevity and ongoing observations make this revelation possible.”
The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. Hubble has made more than 1.3 million observations since its mission began in 1990.
