Stuff To Blow Your Mind From the Vault: The Great Eye of Jupiter, Part 1
May 9, 2026
A deep dive into Jupiter's Great Red Spot as an enormous, long-lived storm. They trace its discovery, historical sightings and gaps in observations. The hosts cover its shrinking size, changing shape and unusual internal winds. They also compare its scale to Earth storms and outline open mysteries like its color and longevity.
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Great Red Spot Is A Transient Atmospheric Feature
- The Great Red Spot is a temporary atmospheric storm, not a permanent planetary feature.
- Humans have only observed it for ~300 years, so its long-term lifespan is short relative to planetary timescales.
Hooke's 1664 Sighting Likely A Moon Shadow
- Robert Hooke claimed a spot in 1664 but later analysis suggests he may have seen a moon's transit shadow instead.
- Marco Forlani's 1987 study argues Hooke likely observed Callisto's silhouette rather than the spot we know.
Cassini's Spot May Not Be Today's Great Red Spot
- Giovanni Cassini's mid‑1600s observations more convincingly recorded a recurring spot but might be a different storm than today's GRS.
- No consistent records exist between ~1713 and 1831, complicating continuity claims.