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posted by CoolHand on Wednesday April 12 2017, @08:20PM   Printer-friendly
from the drops-of-jupiter dept.

Two Soylentils "spotted" this news about a great cold spot being found on Jupiter.

Great Cold Spot Found on Jupiter

Space.com reports on the discovery, published in Geophysical Research Letters of an unusually cold area in Jupiter's atmosphere:

The cool patch stretches up to 15,000 by 7,500 miles (24,000 by 12,000 km) across at its largest, and it's about 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) cooler than the surrounding area in the planet's upper atmosphere. Although it disappears from time to time it seems to always re-form, just offset from the planet's bright aurora.

According to a press release,

The Great Cold Spot is thought to be caused by the effects of the magnetic field of the planet, with the massive planet's spectacular polar aurorae driving energy into the atmosphere in the form of heat flowing around the planet.

This creates a region of cooling in the thermosphere, the boundary layer between the underlying atmosphere and the vacuum of space. Although we can't be sure what drives this weather feature, a sustained cooling is very likely to drive a vortex similar to the Great Red Spot.

The press release has links to videos about the phenomenon.

Jupiter's Great Cold Spot

A "Great Cold Spot" has been found at Jupiter's higher latitudes using the Very Large Telescope's CRIRES instrument:

Astronomers have been characterizing Jupiter's Great Red Spot, a brilliant, swirling storm located just south of the planet's equator, for the better part of three centuries. Now, scientists say they have found another great spot on Jupiter at higher latitudes.

The "Great Cold Spot" is defined by its temperature relative to the surrounding upper atmosphere on the planet. Temperatures in Jupiter's upper atmosphere range from about 700 to 1,000 Kelvin, and the relatively well-defined cold area is about 200 Kelvin cooler. Measuring about 24,000 kilometers in longitude and 12,000 kilometers in latitude, the cold spot is nearly as large as the more famous red spot.

The Juno spacecraft will be able to provide additional data about the region.

related stories:
JunoCam Works, First New Images From Jupiter Sent Back
Videos: Auroras on Jupiter
Jupiter's Spooky Sounds: Emissions from Jupiter's Auroras Captured


Original Submissions: #1 and #2

 
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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 13 2017, @05:34PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday April 13 2017, @05:34PM (#493509)

    Welcome back!

    I'd like to crowdfund an exploration mission into the Todash Darkness beyond the Antarctic Ice Wall. You in?

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @01:42AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday April 14 2017, @01:42AM (#493757)

    I'd like to crowdfund an exploration mission into the Todash Darkness beyond the Antarctic Ice Wall. You in?

    Sure I am!

    How do I find you?