In a remarkable finding, NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has observed Jupiter's iconic Great Red Spot (GRS) shaking like a bowl of gelatin.
The Great Red Spot has long fascinated astronomers due to its presence. This massive anticyclone on Jupiter is large enough to engulf Earth and is thought to have existed for at least 150 years.
Recent observations from NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, based on data collected over 90 days from December 2023 to March 2024, revealed that the Great Red Spot (GRS) is not as stable as previously thought.
The Hubble images allowed astronomers to produce a time-lapse movie showcasing the sudden changes in the behavior of the GRS.
"While we knew its motion varies slightly in its longitude, we didn't expect to see the size oscillate. As far as we know, it's not been identified before," said Amy Simon, lead author of the paper published in The Planetary Science Journal and member of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland.
"This is really the first time we've had the proper imaging cadence of the GRS. With Hubble's high resolution, we can say that the GRS is definitively squeezing in and out at the same time as it moves faster and slower. That was very unexpected, and at present, there are no hydrodynamic explanations," he added.
How Hubble Space Telescope helped astronomers to study?
The research team, led by Simon, utilized the Hubble telescope to closely examine the Great Red Spot (GRS), gathering detailed information about its size, shape, and subtle color variations.
"When we look closely, we see a lot of things are changing from day to day," Simon remarked.
The study included ultraviolet-light observations, revealing that the storm's distinct core becomes brightest when the GRS reaches its maximum size during its oscillation cycle, indicating reduced haze absorption in the upper atmosphere. Co-investigator Mike Wong from the University of California at Berkeley explained, "As it speeds up and slows down, the GRS interacts with the powerful jet streams to its north and south."
"It's similar to a sandwich where the slices of bread are forced to bulge out when there's too much filling in the middle," he added.
Since the launch of the OPAL program a decade ago, the research team has been monitoring the Great Red Spot (GRS) and has forecasted that it will continue to shrink before eventually adopting a more stable, less elongated shape.
(With the inputs from agencies)
