Premium
A great red spot dependence on solar activity?
Author(s) -
Schatten Kenneth H.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl006i007p00593
Subject(s) - jovian , jupiter (rocket family) , hot spot (computer programming) , physics , astrobiology , astrophysics , astronomy , atmospheric sciences , geology , planet , space shuttle , computer science , saturn , operating system
A new inquiry has been made into the question of whether Jupiter's Great Red Spot shows a solar activity dependence. From 1892 to 1947 a clear correlation was present. A dearth of sightings in the seventeenth century, along with the Maunder Minimum, further supports the relation. An anticorrelation, however, from 1948 to 1967 removed support for such an effect. The old observations have been reexamined and recent observations have also been studied. The author reexamines this difficult question and suggests a possible physical mechanism for a Sun‐Jovian weather relation. Prinn and Lewis' conversion reaction of Phosphine gas to triclinic red phosphorous crystals is a reaction dependent upon solar UV radiation. It may explain the dependence found, as well as the striking appearance of the Great Red Spot in the UV.