The newly-spawned “Red Spot Jr.” Jovian storm system appears that it will overtake “Big Red” in early July. Note the “significant climate change” reference in the article.
From New Scientist:
Hubble watches Jupiter’s ‘Red Spot Races’
Hubble has sent back the clearest pictures yet of Jupiter’s new red spot.
The storm, dubbed “Red Spot Junior” is roughly half the diameter of the Great Red Spot, a huge storm that has churned away on Jupiter for at least 400 years – when humans first started observing the gas giant planet.
On 8 April 2006, the Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys took new pictures of the baby storm, which was initially known as White Oval BA before it changed to the same salmon hue as the Great Red Spot (see “Jupiter opens a second red eye”) . The storm formed when three white oval storms merged between 1998 and 2000. Those white storms existed for about 60 years.
Image – NASA – Hubble photos of (top) Jupiter and (bottom) Red Jr.
The red colouring could come from material brought up from deeper within Jupiter’s atmosphere and then altered by the Sun’s radiation. If this is indeed what is happening, it may be a sign that the storm is intensifying.
The newly released images may give weight to the idea that Jupiter is in the middle of significant climate change. Temperatures at some latitudes could be changing by over 5°C, scientists suggest.
Another link to climate is that Red Spot Jr is forming at a latitude of 34° south. Theory has it that this is the where the transfer of heat from the equator to the pole grinds to a halt.
Hmmmmm. It must be all them Jovian SUVs trucking around beneath the clouds causing this colossal climate change.
Update: NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day has a nice close up picture showing Jupiter and both red spots.