One of the most recognizable features on Jupiter is the Great Red Spot. This is a huge, high storm that has been swirling around Jupiter for hundreds of years. It's easily visible from telescopes here on Earth, and even in larger backyard telescopes.
Although there are many storms swirling around Jupiter, nothing is as large and long lived as the Great Red Spot. Jupiter has smaller brown ovals and white ovals, which are smaller, unnamed storms. The white storms tend to be cooler, while the brown storms are warmer.
Astronomers think that the spot is red because it pulls up darker compounds from deeper down in Jupiter. Once brought to the surface, these turn brown and red when exposed to sunlight. The newly formed Oval BA (Red Spot Jr.) is getting larger and starting to turn red as well.
The Red Spot was probably first observed by Giovanni Cassini in the late 1600s. It wasn't observed up close until NASA's Pioneer 10 spacecraft made its flyby in 1974. Better and better images were captured by other spacecraft, including the Voyagers, Galileo, Cassini and New Horizons.
A century ago, the Red Spot measured 40,000 km across, but now it measures about half that, and seems to be getting smaller and more circular. Astronomers have no idea how long the spot will last.
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