Why is the spot on Jupiter red?

Why is the spot on Jupiter red?

Some scientists think the red color comes from chemicals burrowed deep beneath the storm’s cloud tops. But other researchers say the rusty color comes from sunlight splitting up various chemicals in the storm’s upper atmosphere, which would mean the rest of the Great Red Spot is actually not very red at all.

How long will Jupiter’s red spot last?

Jupiter’s Great Red Spot, a gigantic storm more than twice the size of the Earth, has persisted for centuries. But now scientists predict it could disappear forever in as little as 20 years.

What is inside Jupiter’s red spot?

The Great Red Spot is like a storm here on Earth, but supersized. “It’s basically clouds,” says Paul Byrne, a planetary scientist at Washington University in St. Louis. Really, “it’s not all that dissimilar to the kinds of things we know as cyclones or hurricanes or typhoons on Earth.”

How many Earths can fit in Jupiter’s red spot?

How large is Jupiter’s Great Red Spot? (as large as three Earths)

Why does the Great Red Spot never stop?

The Great Red Spot has also lasted much longer than other storms on Jupiter because it’s located between two powerful jet streams that move in opposite directions. Scientists claim the storm is like a spinning wheel caught between conveyor belts moving in opposite directions.

Is Jupiter’s Red Spot hot?

Recent observations of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot indicate that the thermosphere above the storm is hotter than its surroundings by more than 700 K. Possible suggested sources for this heating have thus far included atmospheric gravity waves and lightning-driven acoustic waves.