>> HUBBLE JUST CAPTURED A BRAND NEW IMAGE OF JUPITER
>> Jupiter is a giant ball of gas 11 times wider than Earth and 300 times more massive.
>> The planets iconic feature is a giant storm. The Great Red Spot.
>> Churning through the atmosphere with wind speeds of over 300 MPH, this storm is wrapped in mystery. Even its true age is a riddle.
>> In the 1800s, astronomers observed and described the Great Red Spot many times. But no one knows when the storm began.
>> As technology advanced, scientists Learned more about the gas giant planet and its long-lived storm.
>> Hubbles launch in 1990 gave scientists clear views of Jupiter, year after year. But they started to notice something strange happening.
>> The storm has been getting smaller, but its also been getting taller, like clay squeezed on a potters wheel.
>> As the Great Red Spot rises, it will encounter stronger winds that could break it apart. Astronomers have seen changes in the way the storm interacts with its surroundings.
>> In the past, material approaching the giant storm would be quickly torn apart. Recently, observers witnessed reddish material circling the Great Red Spot before moving in or streaming by.
>> We do not yet know the exact origin or ending of the Great Red Spot. But as we investigate, we learn how Jupiters atmosphere works.
>> Which even helps us understand the weather systems of Earth.
>>Could changes to the Great Red Spot signal the slow end of the ages-old storm? Only time will tell.
>>But if it vanishes from the planet, it will live on in our images and our understanding of these beautiful gas giants.
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