Jupiter in the spotlight: Astronomers capture the giant storm!

On January 7, 2025, the Astronomy friends in Ingolstadt reported out excellent observation conditions for several planets in the sky, whereby Jupiter was particularly focus. Amateur astronomers from Denkendorf and Irsching have made an impressive photography of the large red spot, the largest storm of the solar system. The recordings were made by Peter Maier and Markus Kiefer-Engl and also include a shadow transit of the Jupiter moon IO.

A 20-inch mirror telescope and a 16-inch mirror telescope were used for the photographs. Peter Maier also made the Saturn. Jupiter is often cited as a fascinating object for heavenly observations, and the latest pictures of the amateur astronomers reaffirm its spectacular presence in the night sky, such as Donaukurier reported.

The big red spot: an impressive natural phenomenon

The large red spot not only represents a constant source of fascination for the astronomers, but it is also a remarkable meteorological phenomenon in the atmosphere of the Jupiter. As a long-lasting storm and high-pressure system on the southern hemisphere of the planet, it is about 1.5 times as wide as the earth and has wind speeds of up to 680 km/h. Initial observations go back to 1665, whereby continuous observations have been carried out since 1878, in particular with the help of room probes that have been used for precise analysis since the 1970s.

The large red spot has decreased in size since the 1800s and is currently showing a diameter of 16,350 km. The reddish coloring of the storm, which can fluctuate from brick red to orange, remains unexplained to this day. Researchers continue to endeavor to decipher the exact causes of the color changes and the remarkable longevity of the storm. Representatives of science, such as Wikipedia , have stated that the storm has a vertical structure that looks like a wedding cake and has a depth of about 500 km.