Jupiter's Great Red Spot Is Twice as Wide as Earth

Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a swirling oval of clouds twice as wide as Earth, and it has been observed for more than 300 years.

The Great Red Spot is about twice as wide as Earth. NASA says it has been observed on Jupiter for more than 300 years.

Next Random Fact

Explanation

The Great Red Spot is the best-known feature on Jupiter. NASA describes it as a swirling oval of clouds twice as wide as Earth. Put another way, two planets the size of ours could sit side by side across it. NASA also notes that the spot has been observed on the giant planet for more than 300 years. That long record matters, because it means people have been watching the same feature for centuries, and it is still there. The spot is part of Jupiter’s atmosphere, not a feature on a solid surface, and NASA covers it in the atmosphere section of its Jupiter fact page.

Source and verification

Source
NASA Tier A
Last verified
Confidence
95 out of 100
Verified by

How we verify facts

The explanation on this page was drafted with AI assistance. A human editor checked the fact against its source before publishing.

Embed this fact

Report a problem with this fact

Used only if the editor needs to ask you about this report.