                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2022 January 9

              Hubble's Jupiter and the Shrinking Great Red Spot
   Image Credit: NASA, ESA, Hubble, OPAL Program, STScI; Processing: Karol
                                 Masztalerz

   Explanation: What will become of Jupiter's Great Red Spot? Gas giant
   Jupiter is the solar system's largest world with about 320 times the
   mass of planet Earth. Jupiter is home to one of the largest and longest
   lasting storm systems known, the Great Red Spot (GRS), visible to the
   left. The GRS is so large it could swallow Earth, although it has been
   shrinking. Comparison with historical notes indicate that the storm
   spans only about one third of the exposed surface area it had 150 years
   ago. NASA's Outer Planets Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program has been
   monitoring the storm more recently using the Hubble Space Telescope.
   The featured Hubble OPAL image shows Jupiter as it appeared in 2016,
   processed in a way that makes red hues appear quite vibrant. Modern GRS
   data indicate that the storm continues to constrict its surface area,
   but is also becoming slightly taller, vertically. No one knows the
   future of the GRS, including the possibility that if the shrinking
   trend continues, the GRS might one day even do what smaller spots on
   Jupiter have done -- disappear completely.

   Tuesday over Zoom: APOD editor to present the Best APOD Space Images of
                                    2021
                   Tomorrow's picture: wagging comet tail
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

