NASA / SwRI / MSSS

NASA / SwRI / MSSS

NASA / SwRI / MSSS

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/SwRI/Kevin M. Gill

NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/SwRI/Kevin M. Gill

On Monday, the Juno spacecraft made its eighth close flyby of the planet Jupiter, and this time the spacecraft flew over the Great Red Spot that has captured the public's attention since its discovery in the 17th century. Why is it so big? So red? And why has this storm lasted for centuries?

Juno reached perijove on Monday at 9:55pm ET, and at the time, the spacecraft was just 3,500km above the planet's upper clouds. It was still flying near the surface of Jupiter, at an elevation of 9,000km, when it passed over the Great Red Spot 11 minutes later. "For generations, people from all over the world and all walks of life have marveled over the Great Red Spot," said Scott Bolton, principal investigator of Juno from the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. "Now we are finally going to see what this storm looks like up close and personal."

We may finally begin to get some answers about this spot. In raw images released Wednesday by the Juno science team, details of the 16,000km-wide Great Red Spot have become more apparent. Perhaps more importantly, other instruments on board the spacecraft will observe below the surface of the planet and determine what atmospheric processes are at work to drive the Great Red Spot and allow it to persist for so long.

It will take weeks, months, or even years for the science behind the spot to come out. But what seems clear after Monday's flyby is that Juno has begun to collect excellent and groundbreaking data. The mysteries of Jupiter, starting with its Great Red Spot and turbulent atmosphere, may finally be laid bare.

Listing image by NASA / SwRI / MSSS