Jupiter's Great Red Spot rages in NASA image
With a little processing help, a NASA Juno spacecraft image of Jupiter shows off the planet's stormy beauty.
NASA's Juno spacecraft took a historic look at Jupiter's Great Red Spot in July with a close flyby of the gas giant's iconic beauty mark. NASA highlighted a view that originated from this jaunt as part of its Image of the Day series on Thursday, and it's a stunner.
Juno snapped the raw image on July 10. Citizen scientists Gerald Eichstädt and Seán Doran processed the image to create a spectacular view that makes the red storm and the planet's wavy bands of clouds stand out.
For another look at Eichstädt and Doran's Jupiter work, check out this image of Jupiter's clouds and a series of storms known as the "string of pearls."
NASA likens the Great Red Spot to the worst hurricanes on Earth, but that description doesn't really do it justice. You could fit three Earths inside the monster storm, which features winds that reach 400 miles per hour (640 kilometers per hour).
The spot has been in residence on Jupiter for at least 150 years, and possibly quite a bit longer. It's a good thing we're safe here on Earth and not standing at the heart of its madness.
