Is The Great Red Spot Unraveling?

Ever since I was a small boy I remember viewing Jupiter with my telescope and marveling at the huge red spot on the planet.  Known as the Great Red Spot (GRS), this phenomena has been a staple of Jupiter viewing for hundreds of years.

However, in the past few decades it has started to shrink, and continues to do so. In fact, the GRS used to be large enough to hold three Earths. Now only one would be sufficient to cover up the spot.

The giant storm appears to be unraveling. “I haven’t seen this before in my 17-or-so years of imaging Jupiter,” reports veteran observer Anthony Wesley of Australia. 

Will it disappear completely in our lifetimes?  Maybe.  I will be photographing Jupiter in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

Complete story at SpaceWeatherArchive.