Jupiter's red spot (once the great red spot)

[Bikerdib]

Lately, during discussions with an observing buddy, I've been referring to the red spot as just that, "the red spot". I no longer refer to it as "the great red spot". To me, that name just no longer fits since the spot has shrunken in size so much. I remember the first time I saw it 45 years ago in my little 60mm refractor, it WAS great.

Jupiter just won't be the same if the spot totally goes away. Sure, it will still be a very fine target to point a scope at, especially during opposition, but it won't be the same familiar planet to me.

Anyone else feel this way or am I just too nostalgic?

[depratnt]

I brought this up to a buddy today. I said that I cant believe how much the red spot has shrunk. It will be like denouncing Pluto as a planet. Jupiter will definitely not be the same for me either

[Bikerdib]

What are you talking about, Pluto IS a planet!! I learned that in grade school all the way back in the 1960s and no vote by a small group of "modern" astronomers is going to change that!!

[Lady Fraktor]

Any spot I can see details of from 628,743,036 km - 928,081,020 km I will still refer to as Great!

Pluto is and always has been a planet for me

[Bikerdib]

Any spot I can see details of from 628,743,036 km - 928,081,020 km I will still refer to as Great!

Pluto is and always has been a planet for me

Interesting, fascinating, wonderful, amazing, wondrous, beautiful, awesome, etc., etc. But great; not so...

[notFritzArgelander]

What are you talking about, Pluto IS a planet!! I learned that in grade school all the way back in the 1960s and no vote by a small group of "modern" astronomers is going to change that!!

Actually it was a small group of celestial mechanics. The vote was "gerrymandered" so that this un modern branch of astronomers would have undue influence.

[notFritzArgelander]

Any spot I can see details of from 628,743,036 km - 928,081,020 km I will still refer to as Great!

Pluto is and always has been a planet for me

Agreed on both points! It's still the greatest red spot Jupiter has!

[Bikerdib]

Any spot I can see details of from 628,743,036 km - 928,081,020 km I will still refer to as Great!

Pluto is and always has been a planet for me

Agreed on both points! It's still the greatest red spot Jupiter has!

"Greatest" yes... but no longer "great"

[Bikerdib]

What are you talking about, Pluto IS a planet!! I learned that in grade school all the way back in the 1960s and no vote by a small group of "modern" astronomers is going to change that!!

Actually it was a small group of celestial mechanics. The vote was "gerrymandered" so that this un modern branch of astronomers would have undue influence.

I stand corrected on the group. From what I've heard, a lot of the meeting attendees had left before the vote was taken. Maybe that skewed the results?

[KingNothing13]

How long has the GRS been known? ~400 years? I do wonder how long it was raging before humans saw it for the first time.

One of those things you thought (well I did) would be there forever, but future generations may never see it.

[Seawolfe]

Is it still about the size of the Earth? If so, I'd still say it was pretty GREAT, wouldn't you?

[chicagorandy]

I have empathy for the poor long-living alien residing on Jupiter who bought HIS brand new telescope over 400 years ago and has been waiting ever since for the dammm spot to clear so he can view Earth.

I've only been waiting since April to be able to use mine on a weekend evening to view Jupiter...… still waiting.....

[KingNothing13]

I have empathy for the poor long-living alien residing on Jupiter who bought HIS brand new telescope over 400 years ago and has been waiting ever since for the dammm spot to clear so he can view Earth.

I've only been waiting since April to be able to use mine on a weekend evening to view Jupiter...… still waiting.....

Agreed!

[notFritzArgelander]

What are you talking about, Pluto IS a planet!! I learned that in grade school all the way back in the 1960s and no vote by a small group of "modern" astronomers is going to change that!!

Actually it was a small group of celestial mechanics. The vote was "gerrymandered" so that this un modern branch of astronomers would have undue influence.

I stand corrected on the group. From what I've heard, a lot of the meeting attendees had left before the vote was taken. Maybe that skewed the results?

It certainly did. Alan Stern and the New Horizons friends had planes to catch. So the vote was scheduled for when they wouldn't be present.

[helicon]

It has seemed to me to have faded a lot since I started out in astronomy in 1978. Future generations may not be able to get a glimpse of it at all.

[Pikaia]

This article illustrates how much it has shrunk:-

https://www.universetoday.com/120765/uk ... lory-days/

[Seawolfe]

This article illustrates how much it has shrunk:-

https://www.universetoday.com/120765/uk ... lory-days/

But it is STILL bigger than our planet! :dizzy:

[Bikerdib]

The shrinkage is thought to have accelerated over the last few years, possibly not good sign for the future of the spot.

[Bikerdib]

This article illustrates how much it has shrunk:-

https://www.universetoday.com/120765/uk ... lory-days/

But it is STILL bigger than our planet! :dizzy:

But comparatively speaking, spot to Jupiter size; no longer great.

[Bikerdib]

Actually it was a small group of celestial mechanics. The vote was "gerrymandered" so that this un modern branch of astronomers would have undue influence.

I stand corrected on the group. From what I've heard, a lot of the meeting attendees had left before the vote was taken. Maybe that skewed the results?

It certainly did. Alan Stern and the New Horizons friends had planes to catch. So the vote was scheduled for when they wouldn't be present.

And here we thought conspiracies only occured in politics!