Jupiter’s great red spot may not be the original one discovered 350 years ago.

The Origin of Jupiter's Great Red Spot #arxiv

Astronomers think they’ve figured out how and when Jupiter’s Red Spot formed Enlarge / Enhanced Juno image of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot in 2018. It is likely not the same one observed by Cassini in the 1600s. The planet Jupiter is particularly known for its so-called Great Red Spot, a swirling vortex in the gas giant's atmosphere that has been around since at least 1831. But how it formed and how old it is remain matters of debate.

Observers have reported a large red spot on Jupiter since the 1660s. But according to a new analysis, the old red spot may have disappeared and the current Great Red Spot formed sometime in the 19th century.

Jupiter’s great red spot may not be the original one discovered 350 years ago

Is Jupiter’s iconic Red Spot the same one that Cassini observed in the 1600s? Astronomers concluded in a new study that it is not the same and that Cassini's spot disappeared in 1708.