Contains:  Solar system body or event

Image of the day 05/30/2019

    Jupiter 2019-05-24: The GRS in turmoil, Darren (DMach)

    Jupiter 2019-05-24: The GRS in turmoil

    Acquisition type: Lucky imaging

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    Description

    Never a dull moment at the Great Red Spot these days!

    It's been very cloudy of late, foiling my desire to image the large "blade" peeling off the GRS currently, as reported by others (such as Niall MacNeill).

    That blade formed a bulge that now appears to be thinning, perhaps as the material merges back into the GRS? The tail end of the orange blade appears to coincide with an eddy of the dark brown cloud material currently encircling the GRS, and the band of dark brown cloud is almost completely circling back on itself. Material on the return journey along the STZ appears to be thinning as well.

    Additionally, the brighter, white eddies in the wake of the GRS are increasingly complex and virtually none of the brown cloud band is rejoining the SEB.

    And last but not least, the GRS itself appears to be in a state of turmoil, being decidedly mishapen and ragged around the edges. Fascinating!

    Some links to information about the current GRS event:

    Jupiter’s Great Red Spot Unfurls - Sky & Telescope

    GRS disturbance by John H.Rogers - ALPO Japan

    This represents 10 x 90s captures de-rotated in WinJUPOS.

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    Jupiter 2019-05-24: The GRS in turmoil, Darren (DMach)