A rather pale looking GRS this morning

[Nik271]

I know the great red spot on Jupiter was recently given a clean bill of health: https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/jupiters-great-red-spot-gets-smaller-but-stronger/

But... this morning I was observing Jupiter at about 4:30am in morning twilight and was struck how pale GRS looked. It seems smaller than last year and  certainly much fainter than the colour of the north equatorial band. This recent image by @si@nite seems to support this.

I wonder what is going on.

Edited June 23, 2021 by Nik271

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

The brightness of the GRS varies quite a bit from year to year. Likewise of the equatorial belts. I have seen years where the SEB was almost absent, as shown in an early shot of Jupiter with a Philips TOUCAM

2010

A year later it had bounced back

2011

[bish]

I always make a sketch of Jupiter as it  changes so much.

[John]

1 hour ago, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

The brightness of the GRS varies quite a bit from year to year. Likewise of the equatorial belts. I have seen years where the SEB was almost absent, as shown in an early shot of Jupiter with a Philips TOUCAM

2010

A year later it had bounced back

2011

I well recall the fading of the SEB. That event left the GRS "in the open" as it were and it looked more prominent during that phase. When I first started observing Jupiter with decent scopes (late 1980's) the GRS was larger than it is now but much more of a grey colour. Over the last few years it has seemed smaller but it's salmon pink colour has been a lot stronger.

That's the great thing about Jupiter - always something going on there

It's too low down currently for me to observe it so I'll need to be patient.

 

[Kon]

I was out at 3am this morning as well, and as a new on the hobby I was a bit baffled not to see the red spot more prominent (I have no other reference from previous years). Seeing was pretty good around 330; I could see the orange bands and a small faint orange disk. This is a photo I got today (stacked movie).

 

Edited June 23, 2021 by Kon

[SaberJeff]

good