A comparison of the Great Red SPOT with temporary spots on Jupiter
Abstract
The International Planetary Patrol collection of Jupiter photographs is used to examine the development of a temporary spot that was visible in the northern equatorial zone for a total of 211 days. The motion and color of this spot are compared with those of the Great Red Spot. It is shown that the temporary spot was bluer than the Great Red Spot and has a longitudinal oscillation of approximately 4 deg with a period of about 45 days, implying that it may have possessed a significant dynamical property in common with other temporary spots and the Great Red Spot. It is concluded that the present spot is more likely to have been associated with a hole in the cloud deck rather than with an elevated surface feature.
- Publication:
-
The Observatory
- Pub Date:
- February 1976
- Bibcode:
- 1976Obs....96...16B
- Keywords:
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- Jupiter Red Spot;
- Secular Variations;
- Astronomical Photography;
- Atmospheric Physics;
- Jupiter Atmosphere;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration