<blockquote>
<p>we see that its features didn't change largely over many years</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Jupiter is huge. It is 11 earths across, and 1300 times our volume. The clouds/bands we can see are vastly larger than Earth's entire ecosystem and that means they have a lot more inertia.</p>
<p>Also consider our observation timespan. We have been watching Jupiter* for under 2 centuries, watching it in detail for under 60 years, and watching it in the above picture's detail for under 30 years. Given the scale of Jupiter's weather this is a <em>very</em> short timespan and we should not expect to see major upheavals within one human lifespan. Picture a nice summer day in California, from an insect's perspective - it won't change much in 72 hours, and that's a long time for many bugs.</p>
<ul>
<li>Galileo saw a spot of light. Cassini (the person, not the probe) didn't see all that much detail.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-29T14:54:06.880Z
"Galileo saw a spot of light". Best understatement of a great discovery ever. Good points all around.
HDE 226868
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-30T11:10:24.683Z
Great discoveries often have unassuming appearances. That's what makes them great discoveries.
paul
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-05T05:48:49.713Z
@HDE226868 galileo saw 4 spots of light around that one big one, and thats why we call io europa ganymede and callisto the galilean moons of jupiter.
usethedeathstar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2014-10-29T07:56:40.460Z
2022-08-21T10:53:26.587Z
2022-08-21T10:53:26.587Z
paul
<p>Jupiter is highly dynamic:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/multimedia/largest/EduVideoGallery.html" rel="nofollow">Jupiter Animated Video Gallery</a> (be sure to look at storm merger video)</p>

<p><a href="http://www.space.com/2686-differences-spotted-jupiter-big-red-storms.html" rel="nofollow">Differences Spotted in Jupiter's Big Red Storms</a></p>

<p><a href="http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_jupiternewredspot.htm" rel="nofollow">Jupiter's New Red Spot</a></p>

<p><a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/100514-science-space-jupiter-lost-belt-great-red-spot/" rel="nofollow">Jupiter Loses Big Belt; Great Spot Left Hanging</a></p>

<p>The persistence of Jupiter's Red spot is in fact a bit of a mystery.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-29T22:35:35.187Z
2014-10-29T22:35:35.187Z
Wayfaring Stranger
<p>Jupiter's features change constantly, thanks to new leaps in the field of Astronomy, i.e Hubble, Spitzer and soon to come in 2018 the James Web telescope, we have been able to see our Universe in ways never imagined.  July 1994, when more than 20 pieces of Comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL9) plunged into Jupiter's atmosphere it caused a flash of energy bright enough to be seen 400 million miles away.  A shock wave generated by ram pressure as the meteor speeds into the planet's atmosphere heats the impacting body to a very high temperature, and as the hot object streaks through the atmosphere, it leaves behind a glowing trail of superheated atmospheric gases and vaporized meteor material, leaving dark smudges behind  that rapidly cools and fades in just a few seconds.Therefore changing its atmosphere if only briefly. For more info on Jupiter visit <a href="http://ccs.infospace.com/" rel="nofollow">http://ccs.infospace.com/</a>  </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-04T22:01:16.617Z
Jupiter of all the planents DOES CHANGE! It may not appear to be such, but the small changes are there, most seen to be suddle
jenni selman
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-30T21:00:27.097Z
2015-02-16T23:11:03.063Z
2015-02-16T23:11:03.063Z
jenni selman
<p>Believe it or not, Jupiter isn't <em>too</em> consistent. Take a look at these pictures, <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Jupiter_on_2009-07-23_%28captured_by_the_Hubble_Space_Telescope%29.jpg" rel="noreferrer">the first</a> taken in 2009 and <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Jupiter_on_2010-06-07_%28captured_by_the_Hubble_Space_Telescope%29.jpg" rel="noreferrer">the second</a> taken in 2010:</p>
<p><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Jupiter_on_2009-07-23_%28captured_by_the_Hubble_Space_Telescope%29.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></p>
<blockquote>
<p>and</p>
</blockquote>
<p><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Jupiter_on_2010-06-07_%28captured_by_the_Hubble_Space_Telescope%29.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></p>
<p>Quite the difference, eh? Why?</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter" rel="noreferrer">Jupiter's atmosphere</a> is made of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter#Zones.2C_belts_and_jets" rel="noreferrer">zones and belts</a>. Zones are colder and are composed of rising gases; they are dark-colored. Belts are warmer and are composed of falling gases; they are light-colored. The reason the two don't intermix is because of constant flows of wind, similar to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_stream" rel="noreferrer">Jetstream</a>. These winds make it hard for bands to mix.</p>
<p>There are two types of explanations for the jets. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter#Shallow_models" rel="noreferrer">Shallow models</a> say that the jets are caused by local disturbances. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter#Deep_models" rel="noreferrer">Deep models</a> say that they are the byproduct of rotating cylinders comprising the mantle. At the moment, we don't know which explanation is correct.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-29T19:05:13.007Z
How do you know that both pictures are of the same side of Jupiter?  It rotates rather quickly.
Nate Eldredge
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-29T19:24:31.653Z
@NateEldredge Well they're rotated similarly enough to not include the great red spot at least.
zibadawa timmy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-29T19:37:00.467Z
Voyager 1 made a timelapse of the surface. For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHwkdcppsuo
Sanchises
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-29T19:37:20.180Z
Here's a video of the same side of Jupiter, as Voyager approaches.  They do some processing to make the image the same size, and some tweening, so it's not "pure", but it makes it obvious that the details do not remain static.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-9ULWGHFD0
Beska
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-29T20:39:56.203Z
@NateEldredge Jupiter, like the sun and the other gas planets, undergoes [differential rotation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differential_rotation); for two photos separated by many days, Jupiter doesn't have well-defined "sides" like rocky planets do.
rob
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-29T22:45:14.630Z
@NateEldredge Note also the white spots near the bottom, which are roughly consistent in both images. True, they could have rotated around, but that would suggest that the other layers should have, too.
HDE 226868
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-29T00:07:39.073Z
2014-10-29T00:07:39.073Z
2020-06-17T09:47:40.653Z
HDE 226868
<p>A naive question. When we look at Jupiter, we see that its features didn't change largely over many years, for instance, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter#Great_Red_Spot">red-spot</a>. If it is composed of gases and liquids, then why aren't the effects of mixing of these fluids visible?</p>

<p>My intuition is that due to very low temperatures ($-145\, ^{\circ}$C), diffusion of fluids doesn't occur and therefore the superficial appearence of Jupiter remains the same.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-21T18:14:54.840Z
It is well known that the Great Red Spot is shrinking.
ProfRob
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-29T02:51:24.763Z
NASA reports that the Red Spot is shrinking. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/15may_grs/
CJ Dennis
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-29T14:45:59.373Z
It's been around for over 4 billion years - why would you expect it not to have collapsed into some basic pattern in that time?
corsiKa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-29T18:01:38.990Z
Faulty question.  It does change.  Have you not ever looked at it?
Brian Knoblauch
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-05T10:43:18.297Z
It changes all the time, and as long as you have a very good telescope (or access to the images posted by NASA) you can watch this. Very visible fluid dynamics!
Rory Alsop
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-05T10:45:20.140Z
Voted to close - as Brian commented, this question is faulty.
Rory Alsop
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-06T02:18:27.430Z
Can you try to put just a little more detail into your posts?
Juka
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-06T15:38:53.533Z
@Juka I'm not sure what you expect from questions. Given how short some of your own posts are, I think you're holding others to a double standard.
HDE 226868
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-07T01:13:18.697Z
Not all of them are short.
Juka
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-11-07T15:04:42.957Z
@Juka Not all, but most.
HDE 226868
<jupiter>
If Jupiter is a gas-giant then why don't its features change?
kaka
# If Jupiter is a gas-giant then why don't its features change?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-10-28)

A naive question. When we look at Jupiter, we see that its features didn't change largely over many years, for instance, the [red-spot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter#Great_Red_Spot). If it is composed of gases and liquids, then why aren't the effects of mixing of these fluids visible?

My intuition is that due to very low temperatures ($-145\, ^{\circ}$C), diffusion of fluids doesn't occur and therefore the superficial appearence of Jupiter remains the same.

**Tags:** jupiter
> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: NASA reports that the Red Spot is shrinking. http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/15may_grs/  
> **username_3**: It's been around for over 4 billion years - why would you expect it not to have collapsed into some basic pattern in that time?  
> **username_4**: Faulty question.  It does change.  Have you not ever looked at it?  
> **username_5**: It changes all the time, and as long as you have a very good telescope (or access to the images posted by NASA) you can watch this. Very visible fluid dynamics!  
> **username_5**: Voted to close - as Brian commented, this question is faulty.  
> **username_6**: Can you try to put just a little more detail into your posts?  
> **username_7**: @Juka I'm not sure what you expect from questions. Given how short some of your own posts are, I think you're holding others to a double standard.  
> **username_6**: Not all of them are short.  
> **username_7**: @Juka Not all, but most.  
> **username_1**: It is well known that the Great Red Spot is shrinking.  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_7 on 2014-10-29. Score: 27 | Accepted answer

Believe it or not, Jupiter isn't *too* consistent. Take a look at these pictures, [the first](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Jupiter_on_2009-07-23_%28captured_by_the_Hubble_Space_Telescope%29.jpg) taken in 2009 and [the second](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Jupiter_on_2010-06-07_%28captured_by_the_Hubble_Space_Telescope%29.jpg) taken in 2010:

![enter image description here](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Jupiter_on_2009-07-23_%28captured_by_the_Hubble_Space_Telescope%29.jpg)

> and

![enter image description here](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Jupiter_on_2010-06-07_%28captured_by_the_Hubble_Space_Telescope%29.jpg)

Quite the difference, eh? Why?

[Jupiter's atmosphere](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter) is made of [zones and belts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter#Zones.2C_belts_and_jets). Zones are colder and are composed of rising gases; they are dark-colored. Belts are warmer and are composed of falling gases; they are light-colored. The reason the two don't intermix is because of constant flows of wind, similar to the [Jetstream](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_stream). These winds make it hard for bands to mix.

There are two types of explanations for the jets. [Shallow models](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter#Shallow_models) say that the jets are caused by local disturbances. [Deep models](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter#Deep_models) say that they are the byproduct of rotating cylinders comprising the mantle. At the moment, we don't know which explanation is correct.

> **Comments:**
> **username_12**: How do you know that both pictures are of the same side of Jupiter?  It rotates rather quickly.  
> **username_13**: @NateEldredge Well they're rotated similarly enough to not include the great red spot at least.  
> **username_14**: Voyager 1 made a timelapse of the surface. For example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHwkdcppsuo  
> **username_15**: Here's a video of the same side of Jupiter, as Voyager approaches.  They do some processing to make the image the same size, and some tweening, so it's not "pure", but it makes it obvious that the details do not remain static.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-9ULWGHFD0  
> **username_16**: @NateEldredge Jupiter, like the sun and the other gas planets, undergoes [differential rotation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differential_rotation); for two photos separated by many days, Jupiter doesn't have well-defined "sides" like rocky planets do.  
> **username_7**: @NateEldredge Note also the white spots near the bottom, which are roughly consistent in both images. True, they could have rotated around, but that would suggest that the other layers should have, too.  

---

### Answer by username_8 on 2014-10-29. Score: 14

> we see that its features didn't change largely over many years

Jupiter is huge. It is 11 earths across, and 1300 times our volume. The clouds/bands we can see are vastly larger than Earth's entire ecosystem and that means they have a lot more inertia.

Also consider our observation timespan. We have been watching Jupiter\* for under 2 centuries, watching it in detail for under 60 years, and watching it in the above picture's detail for under 30 years. Given the scale of Jupiter's weather this is a *very* short timespan and we should not expect to see major upheavals within one human lifespan. Picture a nice summer day in California, from an insect's perspective - it won't change much in 72 hours, and that's a long time for many bugs.

* Galileo saw a spot of light. Cassini (the person, not the probe) didn't see all that much detail.

> **Comments:**
> **username_7**: "Galileo saw a spot of light". Best understatement of a great discovery ever. Good points all around.  
> **username_8**: Great discoveries often have unassuming appearances. That's what makes them great discoveries.  
> **username_9**: @HDE226868 galileo saw 4 spots of light around that one big one, and thats why we call io europa ganymede and callisto the galilean moons of jupiter.  

---

### Answer by username_10 on 2014-10-29. Score: 4

Jupiter is highly dynamic:

[Jupiter Animated Video Gallery](http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/multimedia/largest/EduVideoGallery.html) (be sure to look at storm merger video)

[Differences Spotted in Jupiter's Big Red Storms](http://www.space.com/2686-differences-spotted-jupiter-big-red-storms.html)

[Jupiter's New Red Spot](http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/ciencia_jupiternewredspot.htm)

[Jupiter Loses Big Belt; Great Spot Left Hanging](http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/100514-science-space-jupiter-lost-belt-great-red-spot/)

The persistence of Jupiter's Red spot is in fact a bit of a mystery.


---

### Answer by username_11 on 2014-10-30. Score: 2

Jupiter's features change constantly, thanks to new leaps in the field of Astronomy, i.e Hubble, Spitzer and soon to come in 2018 the James Web telescope, we have been able to see our Universe in ways never imagined. July 1994, when more than 20 pieces of Comet P/Shoemaker-Levy 9 (SL9) plunged into Jupiter's atmosphere it caused a flash of energy bright enough to be seen 400 million miles away. A shock wave generated by ram pressure as the meteor speeds into the planet's atmosphere heats the impacting body to a very high temperature, and as the hot object streaks through the atmosphere, it leaves behind a glowing trail of superheated atmospheric gases and vaporized meteor material, leaving dark smudges behind that rapidly cools and fades in just a few seconds.Therefore changing its atmosphere if only briefly. For more info on Jupiter visit <http://ccs.infospace.com/>

> **Comments:**
> **username_11**: Jupiter of all the planents DOES CHANGE! It may not appear to be such, but the small changes are there, most seen to be suddle  

---

