Jupiter has fascinated astronomers for centuries, and the reasons are endless. Except for the fact that the gas giant is the biggest planet from our Solar System, it also guards our planet against huge asteroids that come nearby. Jupiter’s huge gravity allows the planet to act as a “vacuum cleaner” of our Solar System.
But we’re far from done when it comes to Jupiter’s wonders. The planet also features the Great Red Spot, meaning a huge storm located in the southern hemisphere that contains crimson-colored clouds that spin insanely fast, faster than the winds of any storm on Earth. Last but not least, we must remember that the Great Red Spot is roughly 1.3 times as wide as our beloved planet.
The clouds spin at speeds that exceed 400mph
Many of us are complaining about the weather on Earth. But until we do so, we could remind ourselves how terrible the conditions on other planets are. For instance, you surely wouldn’t want to get trapped in the clouds that form the Great Red Spot on Jupiter – they move so fast that they surpass 400mph.
NASA’s Hubble space telescope is approaching its retirement, as it will be replaced this year with the next-generation James Webb Space Telescope. But even so, the good ol’ Hubble keeps amazing us with new discoveries. It has now observed the Great Red Spot from Jupiter, and you can see the relevant footage below:
As the description of the “NASA Goddard” YouTube channel says:
Like the speed of an advancing race car driver, the winds in the outermost “lane” of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot are accelerating – a discovery only made possible by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, which has monitored the planet for more than a decade.
What do you think about the new footage? Feel free to comment!
