Boffins get first measurements of Jupiter's stratospheric storms that show 'unique beast' dwarfing Earth's issues

Terrifying winds rip across Jupiter’s poles reaching speeds of up to 400 metres per second, or 900 miles an hour, three times as fast as the most powerful tornadoes on Earth, according to the first direct measurements of the gas giant's turbulent stratosphere. Astronomers refer to these particularly powerful bursts as jets. “ …

[amacater]

Great Red Spot?

Big whorls have little whorls

Which feed on their velocity

Those little whorls

Have smaller whorls

And so on to viscosity

or thereabouts - it's a long time since I read it :)

[Blackjack]

I must be hungry, I had to look at the picture twice to confirm it wasn't something edible and sweet you can buy at a bakery.

That being said, with so much wind landing something there is gonna be quite troublesome.

[IGotOut]

Genuine Question.

But how much can we rely on historical measurements (this goes for other things such a temperature as well). I'm sure their knowledge of how to take a measurement was good, but what about the actual equipment? What about things such as local temperatures say affecting the telescope itself?

[Stephen 1]

Chaos

Whenever I read about Jupiter's red spot, it beings to mind an Equinox episode from 1988 that has stuck in my mind ever since. In it they did an experiment which they claim predicts that essentially all large rotating gas giants will have similar spots.

This is the relevant section, but the whole program was amazing

[Pascal Monett]

Here's hoping that it will last a long time

Jupiter wouldn't be quite the same without its Red Spot.

Yes, everything changes. In millions of years, Saturn will no longer have any rings, Jupiter's Red Spot will have disappeared, and may other things will have taken place.

But, just for now, let's revel in what we have.

[Anonymous Coward]

Let's face it. There are some bleeding clever people out there doing this stuff

[Meeker Morgan]

So Jupiter is like Chicago.

Proverbially, no one moves there for the weather.

[CrackedNoggin]

"Jupiter is made up predominantly of hydrogen, with some helium. Small traces of other gases also contribute to the planet's composition. These gases fill the entire planet, descending all the way to the core. The surface, as identified by scientists, is the region where the pressure is equal to that at the surface of Earth, one bar. But don't be misled by the term; you can't stand on Jupiter's surface, because it isn't solid. Below the surface, the gas becomes liquid and even plasma, all the way to the central core." https://www.space.com/18391-jupiter-temperature.html

[PhilipN]

Faster than the speed of sound

Not relevant, or not too relevant, outside our atmosphere, but it has got me wondering about a Mach 1+ breeze on this planet.

[Anonymous Coward]

Giant red spot decreasing due to global warming

The red spot has decreased as we humans have increased atmospheric pollution. There’s clearly a link.

We need to stop burning fossil fuels and over consuming before the Red spot disappears for ever, oh and we need to stop sending our junk into space, littering the place up.

[Anonymous Coward]

impact?

"generated by the impact of Comet Shoemaker–Levy 9"

Impact, impact. Pah! That was an (almost nearly close-as-well-might-have-been) perfectly good landing and as soon as I - errr - tidy up I'am good to go again. Just enjoying the landscape. And the weather. Yes.

And stop peeking at my fuel leak! This was there before the cra^H^H^Hlanding, you know.

sheeesh...

[Aristotles slow and dimwitted horse]

But still nothing spotted...

But still nothing spotted in the vicinity with the dimensions of 1 x 4 x 9?