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Great Red Spot

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | Copyright

Great Red Spot (GRS) A large oval feature in Jupiter's clouds at about 22° south latitude. Its dimensions are about 26 000 km east–west and 14 000 km north–south. It was first recorded by S. H.Schwabe in 1831 but attracted little attention until 1878–82, when it became a striking dark red. Since then it has varied greatly in size, colour, and intensity, sometimes being so faint that it is detectable only by the hollow it makes in the South Temperate Belt (the Red Spot Hollow). A prominent, slightly smaller dark spot at a similar latitude to the Great Red Spot was seen in 1664 by the English scientist Robert Hooke (1635–1703), and lasted until 1713. This was probably an earlier manifestation of a similar phenomenon. Space probes have shown the Great Red Spot to be a vast vortex rotating anticlockwise (anticyclonically) every 7 days or so, equivalent to a storm or hurricane. Its top lies a few kilometres above the surrounding cloud deck, and its red colour may be due to compounds such as phosphine (PH₃). A smaller version of the Great Red Spot arose at 34° south following the merger of three white oval storms in 1998 and 2000. Initially it remained white, like the storms from which it formed, but took on a ruddy colour in late 2005, presumably as complex chemicals were brought up from deeper within Jupiter's clouds.

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Great Red Spot

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences | 1999 | | Copyright

Great Red Spot An anticyclonic storm system in the hydrogen—helium atmosphere of the southern hemisphere of Jupiter. It covers 10° of latitude, is about 12000 km across (close to the diameter of the Earth), and has been observed for more than 300 years.

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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Great Red Spot." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Great Red Spot." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-GreatRedSpot.html

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Great Red Spot." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-GreatRedSpot.html

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Great Red Spot

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

Great Red Spot See Jupiter

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"Great Red Spot." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Another red spot, by Jove.(jupiter's research)(Brief article) Magazine article from: Science News; 4/8/2006
	Spotted eye.(Jupiter's Little Red Spot)(Brief article)(Photograph) Magazine article from: Popular Mechanics; 1/1/2008
	Football: Mark puts Reds on spot; Glenavon 1 Cliftonville 0.(Sport) Newspaper article from: The News Letter (Belfast, Northern Ireland); 11/6/2000