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Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012

Two Massive Storms Collide on Jupiter

Posted Wednesday, July 9, 2008, at 10:55 AM

On Jupiter, the largest planet in the Solar System, now visible as a very bright "star" in the east after the Sun sets, 2 massive storms collided earlier this week. The Great Red Spot, over twice the size of the Earth, has been observed over 300 years on Jupiter. A couple of years ago, Red, Jr., another red spot appeared (about the size of the Earth). Earlier this year, a third red spot, about 2/3 the size of the Earth, appeared. Each of these is similar to a Catagory 14 hurricane (Catagory 5 is the fastest on Earth, Katrina was a Catagory 4). Early this week, the famous Great Red Spot overran the 3rd spot, and swallowed it up! Jupiter is a gas planet with many storms on it, at a safe distance of about 400 million miles from the Earth.


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See http://spaceweather.com/ and links for photos. I'd hate to be a meteorologist in the middle of that one!

-- Posted by Kenneth Renshaw on Wed, Jul 9, 2008, at 11:49 AM


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Kenneth Renshaw
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Kenneth Renshaw NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador/Saturn Observation Campaign Kenneth is one of 494 volunteer educators and astronomers who donate their time to educate America's youth, and the general public, about astronomy and the U.S. space program. Organized in 1999 by NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab,it focuses on spacecraft built by the JPL such as Voyager, Mars Rover, Galileo, Cassini as well as the Hubble Space Telescope. Renshaw is one of four ambassadors in Arkansas, and makes presentations to all age and experience groups from pre-school to university science level. His official NASA website it www2.jpl.nasa.gov/ambassador/profiles/Kenneth_Renshaw.htm His email address is renshaw@newwavecomm.net
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