Jupiter: A whole disfunctional family of great red spots

It's a boy! Well, not really, but just this past May, scientists discovered a third red spot as seen above. This comes just shortly after the 2006 discovery of the red spot junior alongside the famous Great red spot. These spots, or storms, I like to think of as category 5 hurricanes of Jupiter. They occur as a result of the storm rising in elevation, where an unknown chemical reaction occurs, turning the storm the familiar red color. While the effects of these storms are still relatively unknown on the surface of the planet, it is hard to imagine them being anything but powerful.

Like all families however, the red spots don't always get along, as was seen this summer when the great red spot essentially consumed the baby red spot. As seen in the photo below, the great red spot eventually caught up to the baby one as the planet's atmosphere continued to rotate, until it eventually consumed it. The only reason the red spot Jr. is not expected to be consumed is because of it's latitude in relation to the great red spot. This occurrence is similar to what happens on earth when two tropical depressions can collide to create a powerful hurricane.

The great red spot is still quite a mystery for folks on earth. I suppose it would be interesting to discover what chemical reactions are occurring on that planet, because for all we know, it could be creating immense amount of energy through a simple chemical process, which we could use to transition from fossil fuels. I think that at this time, any unknown chemical reaction needs to be investigated for it could be useful here on earth. The red spots are very interesting and it still puzzles me as to why we have not funded More research into understand exactly what it does.

Both Photos courtesy of hubblesite.org

Saturn: Liquid Discovered on Titan

An Artist's representation of the recently discovered hydrocarbon lakes on Titan's Surface curtosy of NASA.com

Earlier this summer, NASA Cassini mission to Titan, one of Saturn's largest moons, confirmed that a lake of ethane exists on it's surface. Titan joins only earth as known bodies in our solar system with bodies of liquid on their surface. This recent discovery merely adds to the large collection of support that Titan is the most similar body in the solar system to Earth.

When the Cassini mission began, scientists were not sure if the dark spots they say on the moon's surface were liquid, or simply spots. Predictions were made that the moon would be covered in vast oceans of hydrocarbons. The mission has proved the existence of such bodies of hydrocarbons, but on a small scale. The surface is coated with a large amount of lakes which cover the surface of the planet.

The hydrocarbons are still able to stay in their lake form, even with Titans -300 degree temperatures. It is also hypothesized that the moon experiences rain, which flowed through channels to form the lakes. While Earth's water cycle is based on water, Titan's consists of Hydrocarbons such as methane, and ethane. Mapping of the moon's lakes is expected within the next few years.

Most recently, Scientists believe what they think is evidence pointing to vast oceans of hydrocarbons beneath titan's surface. Scientists were surprised when landmarks recorded on the planet's surface had shifted over 15 miles from recordings earlier. This has led them to believe that the moon's icy surface is laying atop a deeper ocean of hydrocarbons.

Well what does this all mean? I think it is pretty exciting that there is a possibility we have found a mini earth within our very own solar system. I get excited thinking that if this planet has even similar features to earth, that it may be supporting life of its own right now. If there is water, and the atmosphere is similar to ours, who knows, maybe it could even support humans one day! I suppose that's not likely in my lifetime, but if our planet ever becomes desperate, we could find ways to survive there. It would be amazing seeing the sun for days, and watching Saturn in our night times. There are also fairly good chances that we would be hit by an asteroid, or that we would go without sunlight for weeks, but its not too much fun to think of the realistic parts on living somewheres else in the solar system. Its also cool because if there is something so close to our planet just in our solar system, the chances of one that is even closer in our entire galaxy is pretty good. I suppose all we have to do is look, and do our best to find something out there, and pay it a visit, before it decides to come here.

Neptune

The last of our four gas giants, Neptune lies 8th from the sun. It is the only planet discovered by prediction of existence, rather than actual sighting. It's components are similar to that of Uranus, and its size varies only a small amount in comparison to its sometimes called "twin". The planet's strong winds measure speeds of up to 1200 km/h, and its temperature is one of the coldest in the solar system due to it's great distance from the sun. Like the other gas giants, it has a subtle ring system, though it is less viewable than the other three planets.
Neptune has only been visited by one satellite, voyager two, so much of the planet is still unknown.




this photo courtesy of NASA

Uranus

Visible to the naked eye, Uranus is the 7th planet from the sun. Uranus's atmosphere contains large amount of hydrogen and helium like the other gas giants, but is also known for its large amounts of ice, due to it's higher levels of water and ammonia. It is the coldest of the planets in our solar system. Its axis is tilted so much that it's poles lie where other planets have their equators. It is only in recent years that scientists have began recording meteorological changes in the planet's atmosphere.

Saturn

The 6th planet from the sun, and second only in size to Jupiter of all the planets, Saturn has a solid core of rock and ice, with outer atmospheric and surface layers consisting of mostly hydrogen and helium. It has a large set of visible rings comprised of large amount of ice and rock. Saturn's largest moon, Titan, is larger than the planet mercury, and is the only known planet to have its own atmosphere. Saturn takes about 29.5 earth years to orbit the sun.

Known for it's beautiful rings, Saturn is a mystery, like the rest of the gas giants.

Jupiter

The fifth and largest planet, Jupiter is the second birghtest planet in our nighttime sky. It consists of a large amount of liquid and gas. Perhaps the most recongizable part of Jupiter is its large red spot, a storm currently occuring in its atmosphere. The planets atmosphere consists of about 9/10 hydrogen and 1/10 helium. Much of Jupiter's mystery has yet to be solved due to the intense conditions of its atmospheres, but daily findings on the planet are regular.

Jupiter, seen here with it`s satellite, Io. Photo courtesy of NASA

Introductions

This blog is going to be dedicated to the gas giants of our solar system. This class of elite planets includes Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus. Over the course of the year, I will be updating this blog with recent news articles and perspectives on the four planets as reported by respected astronomy websites. To begin though, I figured I would start with a small paragraph on each of the four planets to give readers a chance to get to know those planets which we will be reading so much about over the next few months.

this photo courtesy of http://www.solarviews.com