Jupiter: GRS Fading?

[Paul G. Abel]

Greetings all,

We had a brief break in the clouds today (11/01/11), and I made this drawing of Jupiter. What struck me was just how difficult it was to see the GRS, and I think it may be fading in both intensity and colour.

All best wishes,

-Paul.

[Moonshane]

Hi Paul

I tend to agree with you and thought this myself recently.

I suppose it could be the recovery of the SEB making it 'ping' out less but I don't think so.

[Moonshane]

ps cracking drawing as always. I wish I could sketch but I have the hands of a chimp when it comes to non photographic art.

[beamish]

Could it fade altogether a la SEB ? We might be the first since it was first observed to watch it's disappearance ! Nothing to suggest it's a permanent feature !

[dc509]

great drawing. Both I and someone else on the forum noticed this in images we took at the weekend. GRS should have been there but was very difficult to detect

[Midpoint]

I have to say, I'd probably agree with you. Looking at a few pictures recently I did find myself thinking, "I'm sure it used to be more obvious than that?"

Hopefully there'll be a clear night this weekend so I can see for myself (assuming the GRS will be in the right position).

[Paul G. Abel]

Thanks for the kind comments! In fact, it is quite common for the GRS to fade and disappear altogether during these outbreaks. If the revival goes as usual, the SEB will return and become quite turbulent, and the GRS will fad, and probably vanish leaving the RSH. After a while it will return, and then the SEB willl, and the GRS will get stronger until the SEB vanishes again and the whole cycle begins again.

The time it takes to do this varies, and of course the reasons why this keeps happening are still not really understood. This is why as amateurs, we have plenty of useful science to contribute when it comes to Jupiter!

Best wishes,

-Paul.

[chrisrnuttall]

Paul

I made a drawing of Jupiter on the 3rd of January (posted in this forum). I knew the GRS would be on the rising limb of the planet so i didn't expect to see it due to limb darkening and forshortening.

Anyway I was at the eyepiece longer than I realised and only after I came in I realised that the GRS should have been visible on the Right hand side of my finished sketch having moved fully onto the dge of the disc, but I hadnt noticed it.

I thought I had somehow missed it ( which puzzled me a bit) but this may well explain things.

[Pete Presland]

lovely sketch paul,its been a bit more of a great pink spot for quite a while now

[DarkerSky]

Excellent observation Paul. I fully expect the GRS to fade. Last time I viewed the SEB disappearance in 1990, it came back to life late '90 and the GRS faded completely to leave only the hollow by March '91.

Could be a very interesting conclusion to this apparition - and to the start of the next one too

[barkis]

Superb sketch of Jove as usual Paul.

I thought that records regarding the GRS and SEB, indicated that the fading of the Red Spot, was a precurser to the reappearance of the SEB. Since the GRS is embedded in the SEB zone, It would possibly make sense to think their dynamics are linked.

Has any credence been given to that posibility, or is the SEB's disappearing act, still attributed to the changes in the atmosphere from other causes.

This post seems garbled, but I think it's been written as I intended..

Ron.