Research reveals age of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot

The iconic Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is a huge storm that has been swirling in the atmosphere of the largest planet in the Solar System for years.

But astronomers have debated how long the vortex has actually existed, as well as when and how it formed. Some experts believed it was centuries old and was first observed by the Italian astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini in the 17th century, while others thought the storm was more recent.

Now, new research suggests that the Great Red Spot formed about 190 years ago, meaning Cassini observed something else on Jupiter in 1665. And despite being younger than previously believed, the storm remains both the larger than the longest-lasting known vortex in our Solar System, according to researchers.

A study detailing the findings was published June 16 in Geophysical Research Letters magazine.

An eye in the storm

Jupiter’s striking appearance features stripes and patches made up of bands of clouds circling the planet and cyclonic storms. Its colors come from the composition of different atmospheric layers, which are individually formed by ammonia, water ice, sulfur and phosphorus gases, according to NASA (United States space agency). Fast jet streams carve and stretch clouds into long bands.

Cyclonic storms on Jupiter can last for years because the gas planet lacks a solid surface, which could slow down the storms.

The Great Red Spot is a huge vortex within Jupiter’s atmosphere that is about 16,350 kilometers wide, similar to the diameter of Earth, according to NASA. The storm rises to more than 200 miles (322 kilometers) high.

Howling winds pass at 450 kilometers per hour along the edges of the storm. And its characteristic red color comes from atmospheric chemical reactions.

The iconic feature is visible even through small telescopes.

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