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How large is Jupiter’s Great Red Spot?
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Jupiter
Photograph of Jupiter taken by Voyager 1 on February 1, 1979, at a range of 32.7 million km (20.3 million miles). Prominent are the planet's pastel-shaded cloud bands and Great Red Spot (lower centre).
The Great Red Spot on Jupiter is an enormous, long-lived anticyclonic storm system. Its size has changed significantly over time:
- Current Dimensions: The spot is approximately 16,350 km (10,159 miles) wide, which is large enough to engulf Earth.12
- Historical Context: In the late 19th century, the spot measured about 48,000 km (30,000 miles) in length.12
- Shrinking Trend: The feature has been steadily shrinking for decades. By 1979, the Voyager spacecraft measured its length at 23,000 km (14,500 miles). Since 2012, the storm has become more circular and is currently shrinking at an accelerated rate of about 900 km (580 miles) per year.12