Juno spacecraft from NASA reveals stunning picture of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has provided a stunning view of Jupiter’s famous Great Red Spot, a massive storm that has been swirling on the gas giant for more than 350 years. This snapshot has transported space enthusiasts to the farthest reaches of our solar system.
On Instagram, NASA shared a mesmerizing true-color portrait of the Great Red Spot captured by Juno from a distance of about 8,648 miles (13,917 km). Underscoring the evolving nature of this massive storm, NASA informed followers that it is changing: its height will decrease by an eighth and its width by at least a third.
“Recent observations by Juno suggest that the Great Red Spot, a storm rooted in Jupiter’s atmosphere for more than 350 years, is experiencing a gradual reduction in size. Since it was measured by the Voyager spacecraft in 1979, the storm’s height has fallen by one-eighth and its height has shrunk by at least in a third,” NASA said in an Instagram post.
NASA emphasized the extent of this celestial phenomenon: “Despite these changes, the Great Red Spot is still a huge entity, rising twice the size of Earth. Recent studies by Juno show that the storm plunged about 300 kilometers below Jupiter’s cloud cover. Because the gas giant has no solid base to contain the storms , the winds of the big red dot reach amazing speeds, about 643 km/h.”
A wonderful portrait of Juno
In the center of the shared image is a Great Red Dot surrounded by shades of red, brown and orange. The upper part of the image captures Jupiter’s horizon, painted in a striking palette of beige, brown and blue.
The photo shared on Instagram just a few hours ago has already collected more than two million likes, and the number continues to rise. Excited Followers flooded the comments section to express their awe and wonder at the cosmic spectacle.
One user marveled: “Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is a centuries-old storm bigger than Earth!” Another noted: “It’s crazy how technology is so advanced, allowing us to explore the coolest planets outside of Earth.”
Amidst the comments, a fourth observer simply said, “Beautiful,” while a Fifth couldn’t help but call the picture “irresistible.” The fascination of the cosmic spectacle continues to fascinate audiences around the world.
