
Ask Fuzzy: What's happening to Jupiter's spot?
While there are many truly beautiful objects in the night sky, arguably the most stunning is Jupiter. Seen up close from spacecraft such as Cassini, the swirling textured surface looks like something that Van Gogh might have painted.
The fifth planet from the Sun is easily visible to the naked eye and is more than twice as massive as the other planets combined. If it were a hollow shell, a thousand Earths could fit inside.
Curiously for such a large object, Jupiter also has the shortest day in the solar system, being only 10 hours long.
Jupiter's size and rapid spin generates a huge coriolis effect - the same force that shapes cyclones and hurricanes on Earth.
The striking colours in thick bands across Jupiter are thought to be plumes of sulphur and phosphorus gases.
While it might be beautiful, it would not be a happy place to visit. Aside from being a long way, the atmosphere that includes ammonia ice and ammonium hydrosulfide crystals is not recommended.
The planet's rotation causes cyclonic storms with winds over 500 kilometres per hour, forming bands of colour, with spots scattered from pole to pole.
With no solid surface to slow them down, these spots persist for many years.
The first person to observe a spot on Jupiter was Giovanni Cassini in 1672 when he drew pictures using his primitive telescope.
By today's standards telescopes were still unsophisticated in the 1800s when the Great Red Spot was first seen. A drawing from 1831 shows a large oval shape that we now know is a giant storm, twice as wide as Earth.
MORE ASK FUZZY:
Through the 300 years it's been observed, Jupiter's patterns have been constantly evolving. In recent times, three smaller ovals merged to form the Little Red Spot which is about half the size.
Now it seems the Great Red Spot is shrinking. In the late 1800s it spanned about 41,000km and in 1979 the NASA Voyager measured it at 23,335 km.
Today, the spot's waistline is only 16,500 km, and getting smaller by 1000 kilometres per year.
At this rate it could disappear in the near future.
It might be sad for our photogenic neighbour to lose its beauty spot, but who knows, it'll probably grow a new one.
The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM.
Send your questions to AskFuzzy@Zoho.com; Podcast: FuzzyLogicOn2xx.Podbean.com
While there are many truly beautiful objects in the night sky, arguably the most stunning is Jupiter. Seen up close from spacecraft such as Cassini, the swirling textured surface looks like something that Van Gogh might have painted.
The fifth planet from the Sun is easily visible to the naked eye and is more than twice as massive as the other planets combined. If it were a hollow shell, a thousand Earths could fit inside.
Curiously for such a large object, Jupiter also has the shortest day in the solar system, being only 10 hours long.
Jupiter's size and rapid spin generates a huge coriolis effect - the same force that shapes cyclones and hurricanes on Earth.
The striking colours in thick bands across Jupiter are thought to be plumes of sulphur and phosphorus gases.
While it might be beautiful, it would not be a happy place to visit. Aside from being a long way, the atmosphere that includes ammonia ice and ammonium hydrosulfide crystals is not recommended.
The planet's rotation causes cyclonic storms with winds over 500 kilometres per hour, forming bands of colour, with spots scattered from pole to pole.
With no solid surface to slow them down, these spots persist for many years.
The first person to observe a spot on Jupiter was Giovanni Cassini in 1672 when he drew pictures using his primitive telescope.
By today's standards telescopes were still unsophisticated in the 1800s when the Great Red Spot was first seen. A drawing from 1831 shows a large oval shape that we now know is a giant storm, twice as wide as Earth.
MORE ASK FUZZY:
Through the 300 years it's been observed, Jupiter's patterns have been constantly evolving. In recent times, three smaller ovals merged to form the Little Red Spot which is about half the size.
Now it seems the Great Red Spot is shrinking. In the late 1800s it spanned about 41,000km and in 1979 the NASA Voyager measured it at 23,335 km.
Today, the spot's waistline is only 16,500 km, and getting smaller by 1000 kilometres per year.
At this rate it could disappear in the near future.
It might be sad for our photogenic neighbour to lose its beauty spot, but who knows, it'll probably grow a new one.
The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM.
Send your questions to AskFuzzy@Zoho.com; Podcast: FuzzyLogicOn2xx.Podbean.com
While there are many truly beautiful objects in the night sky, arguably the most stunning is Jupiter. Seen up close from spacecraft such as Cassini, the swirling textured surface looks like something that Van Gogh might have painted.
The fifth planet from the Sun is easily visible to the naked eye and is more than twice as massive as the other planets combined. If it were a hollow shell, a thousand Earths could fit inside.
Curiously for such a large object, Jupiter also has the shortest day in the solar system, being only 10 hours long.
Jupiter's size and rapid spin generates a huge coriolis effect - the same force that shapes cyclones and hurricanes on Earth.
The striking colours in thick bands across Jupiter are thought to be plumes of sulphur and phosphorus gases.
While it might be beautiful, it would not be a happy place to visit. Aside from being a long way, the atmosphere that includes ammonia ice and ammonium hydrosulfide crystals is not recommended.
The planet's rotation causes cyclonic storms with winds over 500 kilometres per hour, forming bands of colour, with spots scattered from pole to pole.
With no solid surface to slow them down, these spots persist for many years.
The first person to observe a spot on Jupiter was Giovanni Cassini in 1672 when he drew pictures using his primitive telescope.
By today's standards telescopes were still unsophisticated in the 1800s when the Great Red Spot was first seen. A drawing from 1831 shows a large oval shape that we now know is a giant storm, twice as wide as Earth.
MORE ASK FUZZY:
Through the 300 years it's been observed, Jupiter's patterns have been constantly evolving. In recent times, three smaller ovals merged to form the Little Red Spot which is about half the size.
Now it seems the Great Red Spot is shrinking. In the late 1800s it spanned about 41,000km and in 1979 the NASA Voyager measured it at 23,335 km.
Today, the spot's waistline is only 16,500 km, and getting smaller by 1000 kilometres per year.
At this rate it could disappear in the near future.
It might be sad for our photogenic neighbour to lose its beauty spot, but who knows, it'll probably grow a new one.
The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM.
Send your questions to AskFuzzy@Zoho.com; Podcast: FuzzyLogicOn2xx.Podbean.com
While there are many truly beautiful objects in the night sky, arguably the most stunning is Jupiter. Seen up close from spacecraft such as Cassini, the swirling textured surface looks like something that Van Gogh might have painted.
The fifth planet from the Sun is easily visible to the naked eye and is more than twice as massive as the other planets combined. If it were a hollow shell, a thousand Earths could fit inside.
Curiously for such a large object, Jupiter also has the shortest day in the solar system, being only 10 hours long.
Jupiter's size and rapid spin generates a huge coriolis effect - the same force that shapes cyclones and hurricanes on Earth.
The striking colours in thick bands across Jupiter are thought to be plumes of sulphur and phosphorus gases.
While it might be beautiful, it would not be a happy place to visit. Aside from being a long way, the atmosphere that includes ammonia ice and ammonium hydrosulfide crystals is not recommended.
The planet's rotation causes cyclonic storms with winds over 500 kilometres per hour, forming bands of colour, with spots scattered from pole to pole.
With no solid surface to slow them down, these spots persist for many years.
The first person to observe a spot on Jupiter was Giovanni Cassini in 1672 when he drew pictures using his primitive telescope.
By today's standards telescopes were still unsophisticated in the 1800s when the Great Red Spot was first seen. A drawing from 1831 shows a large oval shape that we now know is a giant storm, twice as wide as Earth.
MORE ASK FUZZY:
Through the 300 years it's been observed, Jupiter's patterns have been constantly evolving. In recent times, three smaller ovals merged to form the Little Red Spot which is about half the size.
Now it seems the Great Red Spot is shrinking. In the late 1800s it spanned about 41,000km and in 1979 the NASA Voyager measured it at 23,335 km.
Today, the spot's waistline is only 16,500 km, and getting smaller by 1000 kilometres per year.
At this rate it could disappear in the near future.
It might be sad for our photogenic neighbour to lose its beauty spot, but who knows, it'll probably grow a new one.
The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM.
Send your questions to AskFuzzy@Zoho.com; Podcast: FuzzyLogicOn2xx.Podbean.com
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The Advertiser
03-06-2025
- The Advertiser
Ask Fuzzy: Who was Sister Elizabeth Kenny?
In June 1916, New York officially declared a polio epidemic and, in doing so, instigated a practice that we might find unacceptable today. Newspapers published the names and addresses of sufferers, placards were nailed to doors, and families quarantined. Australians too, were affected. Polio became a notifiable disease in Tasmania and other states by 1922. Despite these measures, polio incidents continued to rise until 1938, when in Australia the number of cases peaked at 39 per 100,000. Polio, sometimes called infantile paralysis, is a devastating disease that causes muscle fatigue and spasms in the limbs, often accompanied by severe pain. When Elizabeth Kenny first encountered the disease, the accepted practice was to immobilise the patient. With splints and plaster body casts to prevent muscle tightening, many paralysed patients lay for months at a time. Unfortunately this would often atrophy both affected and healthy muscles. The Australian Elizabeth Kenny (1880 -1952) became something of a maverick by developing what was then considered a radical treatment. In 1913 Kenny opened a small hospital in Queensland, where her method was reportedly used with success. To ease pain, she lay strips of hot moist cloth over the person's affected areas. And rather than immobilising her patients, she had them do exercises such as bending and flexing joints. Several times a day, they'd move them through a limited range of motion. In doing so, she went directly against the orthodoxy, but her methods are now thought to be a forerunner of modern physiotherapy. However Elizabeth Kenny remains a tricky subject. In some ways, she resembles today's self-appointed heroes who reveal their groundbreaking treatment that busts open the orthodoxy. Kenny appears to have been a skilled self-promoter. She became famous in the United States and her story even featured in a 1946 Hollywood movie. But some saw her as a tireless propagandist who manipulated, or even falsified, her results. She claimed to have achieved an astounding 80 per cent recovery rate, but this was based on observation and intuition rather than any scientific study. MORE ASK FUZZY: Her approach was based on a fundamental misconception that the problem was a muscular one that could be corrected through "muscle re-education". As some researchers thought at the time and has subsequently been proven, polio paralysis is actually a neurological condition. As someone with direct experience of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and Frozen Shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), I cannot imagine a worse treatment than to stop a person exercising. Treatment today is more nuanced. As with the Kenny method, it includes hot moist packs and physical therapy. However, institutions such as the Mayo Clinic also include appropriate bed rest and even "splints or other devices to encourage good position of the spine and limbs". The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast: In June 1916, New York officially declared a polio epidemic and, in doing so, instigated a practice that we might find unacceptable today. Newspapers published the names and addresses of sufferers, placards were nailed to doors, and families quarantined. Australians too, were affected. Polio became a notifiable disease in Tasmania and other states by 1922. Despite these measures, polio incidents continued to rise until 1938, when in Australia the number of cases peaked at 39 per 100,000. Polio, sometimes called infantile paralysis, is a devastating disease that causes muscle fatigue and spasms in the limbs, often accompanied by severe pain. When Elizabeth Kenny first encountered the disease, the accepted practice was to immobilise the patient. With splints and plaster body casts to prevent muscle tightening, many paralysed patients lay for months at a time. Unfortunately this would often atrophy both affected and healthy muscles. The Australian Elizabeth Kenny (1880 -1952) became something of a maverick by developing what was then considered a radical treatment. In 1913 Kenny opened a small hospital in Queensland, where her method was reportedly used with success. To ease pain, she lay strips of hot moist cloth over the person's affected areas. And rather than immobilising her patients, she had them do exercises such as bending and flexing joints. Several times a day, they'd move them through a limited range of motion. In doing so, she went directly against the orthodoxy, but her methods are now thought to be a forerunner of modern physiotherapy. However Elizabeth Kenny remains a tricky subject. In some ways, she resembles today's self-appointed heroes who reveal their groundbreaking treatment that busts open the orthodoxy. Kenny appears to have been a skilled self-promoter. She became famous in the United States and her story even featured in a 1946 Hollywood movie. But some saw her as a tireless propagandist who manipulated, or even falsified, her results. She claimed to have achieved an astounding 80 per cent recovery rate, but this was based on observation and intuition rather than any scientific study. MORE ASK FUZZY: Her approach was based on a fundamental misconception that the problem was a muscular one that could be corrected through "muscle re-education". As some researchers thought at the time and has subsequently been proven, polio paralysis is actually a neurological condition. As someone with direct experience of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and Frozen Shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), I cannot imagine a worse treatment than to stop a person exercising. Treatment today is more nuanced. As with the Kenny method, it includes hot moist packs and physical therapy. However, institutions such as the Mayo Clinic also include appropriate bed rest and even "splints or other devices to encourage good position of the spine and limbs". The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast: In June 1916, New York officially declared a polio epidemic and, in doing so, instigated a practice that we might find unacceptable today. Newspapers published the names and addresses of sufferers, placards were nailed to doors, and families quarantined. Australians too, were affected. Polio became a notifiable disease in Tasmania and other states by 1922. Despite these measures, polio incidents continued to rise until 1938, when in Australia the number of cases peaked at 39 per 100,000. Polio, sometimes called infantile paralysis, is a devastating disease that causes muscle fatigue and spasms in the limbs, often accompanied by severe pain. When Elizabeth Kenny first encountered the disease, the accepted practice was to immobilise the patient. With splints and plaster body casts to prevent muscle tightening, many paralysed patients lay for months at a time. Unfortunately this would often atrophy both affected and healthy muscles. The Australian Elizabeth Kenny (1880 -1952) became something of a maverick by developing what was then considered a radical treatment. In 1913 Kenny opened a small hospital in Queensland, where her method was reportedly used with success. To ease pain, she lay strips of hot moist cloth over the person's affected areas. And rather than immobilising her patients, she had them do exercises such as bending and flexing joints. Several times a day, they'd move them through a limited range of motion. In doing so, she went directly against the orthodoxy, but her methods are now thought to be a forerunner of modern physiotherapy. However Elizabeth Kenny remains a tricky subject. In some ways, she resembles today's self-appointed heroes who reveal their groundbreaking treatment that busts open the orthodoxy. Kenny appears to have been a skilled self-promoter. She became famous in the United States and her story even featured in a 1946 Hollywood movie. But some saw her as a tireless propagandist who manipulated, or even falsified, her results. She claimed to have achieved an astounding 80 per cent recovery rate, but this was based on observation and intuition rather than any scientific study. MORE ASK FUZZY: Her approach was based on a fundamental misconception that the problem was a muscular one that could be corrected through "muscle re-education". As some researchers thought at the time and has subsequently been proven, polio paralysis is actually a neurological condition. As someone with direct experience of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and Frozen Shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), I cannot imagine a worse treatment than to stop a person exercising. Treatment today is more nuanced. As with the Kenny method, it includes hot moist packs and physical therapy. However, institutions such as the Mayo Clinic also include appropriate bed rest and even "splints or other devices to encourage good position of the spine and limbs". The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast: In June 1916, New York officially declared a polio epidemic and, in doing so, instigated a practice that we might find unacceptable today. Newspapers published the names and addresses of sufferers, placards were nailed to doors, and families quarantined. Australians too, were affected. Polio became a notifiable disease in Tasmania and other states by 1922. Despite these measures, polio incidents continued to rise until 1938, when in Australia the number of cases peaked at 39 per 100,000. Polio, sometimes called infantile paralysis, is a devastating disease that causes muscle fatigue and spasms in the limbs, often accompanied by severe pain. When Elizabeth Kenny first encountered the disease, the accepted practice was to immobilise the patient. With splints and plaster body casts to prevent muscle tightening, many paralysed patients lay for months at a time. Unfortunately this would often atrophy both affected and healthy muscles. The Australian Elizabeth Kenny (1880 -1952) became something of a maverick by developing what was then considered a radical treatment. In 1913 Kenny opened a small hospital in Queensland, where her method was reportedly used with success. To ease pain, she lay strips of hot moist cloth over the person's affected areas. And rather than immobilising her patients, she had them do exercises such as bending and flexing joints. Several times a day, they'd move them through a limited range of motion. In doing so, she went directly against the orthodoxy, but her methods are now thought to be a forerunner of modern physiotherapy. However Elizabeth Kenny remains a tricky subject. In some ways, she resembles today's self-appointed heroes who reveal their groundbreaking treatment that busts open the orthodoxy. Kenny appears to have been a skilled self-promoter. She became famous in the United States and her story even featured in a 1946 Hollywood movie. But some saw her as a tireless propagandist who manipulated, or even falsified, her results. She claimed to have achieved an astounding 80 per cent recovery rate, but this was based on observation and intuition rather than any scientific study. MORE ASK FUZZY: Her approach was based on a fundamental misconception that the problem was a muscular one that could be corrected through "muscle re-education". As some researchers thought at the time and has subsequently been proven, polio paralysis is actually a neurological condition. As someone with direct experience of RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) and Frozen Shoulder (adhesive capsulitis), I cannot imagine a worse treatment than to stop a person exercising. Treatment today is more nuanced. As with the Kenny method, it includes hot moist packs and physical therapy. However, institutions such as the Mayo Clinic also include appropriate bed rest and even "splints or other devices to encourage good position of the spine and limbs". The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast:


The Advertiser
28-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Ask Fuzzy: What's happening to Jupiter's spot?
While there are many truly beautiful objects in the night sky, arguably the most stunning is Jupiter. Seen up close from spacecraft such as Cassini, the swirling textured surface looks like something that Van Gogh might have painted. The fifth planet from the Sun is easily visible to the naked eye and is more than twice as massive as the other planets combined. If it were a hollow shell, a thousand Earths could fit inside. Curiously for such a large object, Jupiter also has the shortest day in the solar system, being only 10 hours long. Jupiter's size and rapid spin generates a huge coriolis effect - the same force that shapes cyclones and hurricanes on Earth. The striking colours in thick bands across Jupiter are thought to be plumes of sulphur and phosphorus gases. While it might be beautiful, it would not be a happy place to visit. Aside from being a long way, the atmosphere that includes ammonia ice and ammonium hydrosulfide crystals is not recommended. The planet's rotation causes cyclonic storms with winds over 500 kilometres per hour, forming bands of colour, with spots scattered from pole to pole. With no solid surface to slow them down, these spots persist for many years. The first person to observe a spot on Jupiter was Giovanni Cassini in 1672 when he drew pictures using his primitive telescope. By today's standards telescopes were still unsophisticated in the 1800s when the Great Red Spot was first seen. A drawing from 1831 shows a large oval shape that we now know is a giant storm, twice as wide as Earth. MORE ASK FUZZY: Through the 300 years it's been observed, Jupiter's patterns have been constantly evolving. In recent times, three smaller ovals merged to form the Little Red Spot which is about half the size. Now it seems the Great Red Spot is shrinking. In the late 1800s it spanned about 41,000km and in 1979 the NASA Voyager measured it at 23,335 km. Today, the spot's waistline is only 16,500 km, and getting smaller by 1000 kilometres per year. At this rate it could disappear in the near future. It might be sad for our photogenic neighbour to lose its beauty spot, but who knows, it'll probably grow a new one. The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast: While there are many truly beautiful objects in the night sky, arguably the most stunning is Jupiter. Seen up close from spacecraft such as Cassini, the swirling textured surface looks like something that Van Gogh might have painted. The fifth planet from the Sun is easily visible to the naked eye and is more than twice as massive as the other planets combined. If it were a hollow shell, a thousand Earths could fit inside. Curiously for such a large object, Jupiter also has the shortest day in the solar system, being only 10 hours long. Jupiter's size and rapid spin generates a huge coriolis effect - the same force that shapes cyclones and hurricanes on Earth. The striking colours in thick bands across Jupiter are thought to be plumes of sulphur and phosphorus gases. While it might be beautiful, it would not be a happy place to visit. Aside from being a long way, the atmosphere that includes ammonia ice and ammonium hydrosulfide crystals is not recommended. The planet's rotation causes cyclonic storms with winds over 500 kilometres per hour, forming bands of colour, with spots scattered from pole to pole. With no solid surface to slow them down, these spots persist for many years. The first person to observe a spot on Jupiter was Giovanni Cassini in 1672 when he drew pictures using his primitive telescope. By today's standards telescopes were still unsophisticated in the 1800s when the Great Red Spot was first seen. A drawing from 1831 shows a large oval shape that we now know is a giant storm, twice as wide as Earth. MORE ASK FUZZY: Through the 300 years it's been observed, Jupiter's patterns have been constantly evolving. In recent times, three smaller ovals merged to form the Little Red Spot which is about half the size. Now it seems the Great Red Spot is shrinking. In the late 1800s it spanned about 41,000km and in 1979 the NASA Voyager measured it at 23,335 km. Today, the spot's waistline is only 16,500 km, and getting smaller by 1000 kilometres per year. At this rate it could disappear in the near future. It might be sad for our photogenic neighbour to lose its beauty spot, but who knows, it'll probably grow a new one. The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast: While there are many truly beautiful objects in the night sky, arguably the most stunning is Jupiter. Seen up close from spacecraft such as Cassini, the swirling textured surface looks like something that Van Gogh might have painted. The fifth planet from the Sun is easily visible to the naked eye and is more than twice as massive as the other planets combined. If it were a hollow shell, a thousand Earths could fit inside. Curiously for such a large object, Jupiter also has the shortest day in the solar system, being only 10 hours long. Jupiter's size and rapid spin generates a huge coriolis effect - the same force that shapes cyclones and hurricanes on Earth. The striking colours in thick bands across Jupiter are thought to be plumes of sulphur and phosphorus gases. While it might be beautiful, it would not be a happy place to visit. Aside from being a long way, the atmosphere that includes ammonia ice and ammonium hydrosulfide crystals is not recommended. The planet's rotation causes cyclonic storms with winds over 500 kilometres per hour, forming bands of colour, with spots scattered from pole to pole. With no solid surface to slow them down, these spots persist for many years. The first person to observe a spot on Jupiter was Giovanni Cassini in 1672 when he drew pictures using his primitive telescope. By today's standards telescopes were still unsophisticated in the 1800s when the Great Red Spot was first seen. A drawing from 1831 shows a large oval shape that we now know is a giant storm, twice as wide as Earth. MORE ASK FUZZY: Through the 300 years it's been observed, Jupiter's patterns have been constantly evolving. In recent times, three smaller ovals merged to form the Little Red Spot which is about half the size. Now it seems the Great Red Spot is shrinking. In the late 1800s it spanned about 41,000km and in 1979 the NASA Voyager measured it at 23,335 km. Today, the spot's waistline is only 16,500 km, and getting smaller by 1000 kilometres per year. At this rate it could disappear in the near future. It might be sad for our photogenic neighbour to lose its beauty spot, but who knows, it'll probably grow a new one. The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast: While there are many truly beautiful objects in the night sky, arguably the most stunning is Jupiter. Seen up close from spacecraft such as Cassini, the swirling textured surface looks like something that Van Gogh might have painted. The fifth planet from the Sun is easily visible to the naked eye and is more than twice as massive as the other planets combined. If it were a hollow shell, a thousand Earths could fit inside. Curiously for such a large object, Jupiter also has the shortest day in the solar system, being only 10 hours long. Jupiter's size and rapid spin generates a huge coriolis effect - the same force that shapes cyclones and hurricanes on Earth. The striking colours in thick bands across Jupiter are thought to be plumes of sulphur and phosphorus gases. While it might be beautiful, it would not be a happy place to visit. Aside from being a long way, the atmosphere that includes ammonia ice and ammonium hydrosulfide crystals is not recommended. The planet's rotation causes cyclonic storms with winds over 500 kilometres per hour, forming bands of colour, with spots scattered from pole to pole. With no solid surface to slow them down, these spots persist for many years. The first person to observe a spot on Jupiter was Giovanni Cassini in 1672 when he drew pictures using his primitive telescope. By today's standards telescopes were still unsophisticated in the 1800s when the Great Red Spot was first seen. A drawing from 1831 shows a large oval shape that we now know is a giant storm, twice as wide as Earth. MORE ASK FUZZY: Through the 300 years it's been observed, Jupiter's patterns have been constantly evolving. In recent times, three smaller ovals merged to form the Little Red Spot which is about half the size. Now it seems the Great Red Spot is shrinking. In the late 1800s it spanned about 41,000km and in 1979 the NASA Voyager measured it at 23,335 km. Today, the spot's waistline is only 16,500 km, and getting smaller by 1000 kilometres per year. At this rate it could disappear in the near future. It might be sad for our photogenic neighbour to lose its beauty spot, but who knows, it'll probably grow a new one. The Fuzzy Logic Science Show is at 11am Sundays on 2xx 98.3FM. Send your questions to AskFuzzy@ Podcast:


Canberra Times
28-05-2025
- Canberra Times
Ask Fuzzy: What's happening to Jupiter's spot?
While there are many truly beautiful objects in the night sky, arguably the most stunning is Jupiter. Seen up close from spacecraft such as Cassini, the swirling textured surface looks like something that Van Gogh might have painted.