Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, the biggest storm in the Solar System, is shrinking.
For over 200 years, scientists have studied this giant storm, which is located in Jupiter’s southern hemisphere. Recent research from Yale University in the U.S. offers a new explanation for why the storm is getting smaller.
The Great Red Spot is a massive red-orange storm more than 16,000 km wide. It has been shrinking for nearly a century, with significant changes over the last 50 years. Scientists have noticed that the spot is pulling in fewer smaller storms than before, causing it to shrink.
Jupiter is the largest planet in the Solar System, big enough to fit over 1,300 Earths inside it. Unlike Earth, Jupiter is a gas giant without a solid surface. It spins quickly, completing a day in just 10 hours, but it takes 12 Earth years for one year on Jupiter.
Researchers used 3D computer models to simulate the storm’s behavior. Their findings suggest that the storm grew by absorbing smaller storms. As fewer storms are now being absorbed, the Great Red Spot is shrinking.
Despite its fame, much about the Great Red Spot remains a mystery, including when it first formed and why it is red. Scientists continue to study this fascinating feature, hoping to learn more about the secrets of Jupiter and its giant storm.
