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The Planetary Society BlogBy Emily LakdawallaJupiter has lost a belt!May. 10, 2010 | 15:22 PDT | 22:22 UTC
Via Daniel Fischer's Tweet about a blog entry by Astro Bob I learned of something which should be obvious to anyone who has trained even a rather small telescope on Jupiter over the past few weeks: one of its iconic stripes is just plain gone.
The photos above are from Anthony Wesley, the same guy who discovered the impact scar on Jupiter last year; but you don't need to be as fabulous an astrophotographer as Wesley to see this for yourself. You do, however, need to get up early; Star Walk (my iPhone astronomy app of choice) tells me Jupiter rises around 3:30 a.m. right now. If you don't feel like getting up early, just check out Wesley's website for more wonderful photos of Jupiter.
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CommentsWow! So now we await the SEB revival. This cycle (SEB fade/SEB revival) is a regular feature on Jupiter, and the revival is much, much more spectacular than the fade, with activity at a level not often seen on the planet. Trouble is, we may have to wait a number of years for it.
#1 - Peter Hornby - 05/10/2010 - 16:07
Foreclosure... probably missed a few payments. Sad looking thing
#2 - al - 05/11/2010 - 09:45
Absent minded professor
And I thought I was the only one who ever lost his clothing...
#3 - jd - 05/11/2010 - 15:59
Lol. I actually think it looks better without it.
#4 - Fuamnach - 05/11/2010 - 16:14
Do we know or have guesses as to the chemical composition of these belts? Could we use this information to make an attempt at explaining this color change? Anyone?
#5 - sean.lindsay - 05/11/2010 - 16:47
Solar stripes?
Speculation of course but might there be a solar connection here? Recent sunspot activity is thought a possible culprit for the fluctuations in the jet-stream here on Earth - might similar side-effects manifest themselves elsewhere in the solar system?
#6 - Carl Goodman - 05/11/2010 - 17:06
Reminds me of Jupiter's appearance in the Pioneer images...
If you've ever looked at the images of Jupiter taken by Pioneer 10 and 11 back in 1973-74, and compare them with the images from the 1979 Voyager flybys, you will see a dramatic difference in the planet's appearance. Although the Pioneer imaging system was very primitive compared to that of Voyager and operated in a quite peculiar fashion, there are still obvious changes in the look of Jupiter's clouds which cannot be merely due to the different imaging hardware. This seems to be another example of changes in belt intensity.
#7 - Colin Howell - 05/11/2010 - 20:52
Mr
my guess is that the recent storm activity has caused the typical hydration clashing of atmosphere particals and it has been dispursed as free flowing lighter particles. This would explain the sudden change.
#8 - Dr Hubert Michaelson - 05/12/2010 - 00:26
Amateur Astronomer
It will be disappointing to see Jupiter wihtout the SEB but it is still "Jupiter, The Magnificient."
#9 - Joanne Hailey - 05/12/2010 - 07:46
I blame global warming.
#10 - paul - 05/12/2010 - 09:18
Pretty cool. I'm going to have to get up early and check this out through the eyepiece. Somehow I just know that the 2012 crowd is going to use this to further their idiocy.
#11 - Doug - 05/12/2010 - 09:36
GW
Clearly it is global warming and we need to tax the citizens of Earth.
#12 - ezwip - 05/12/2010 - 10:36
3-15 years
When was the last time this happened?
#13 - FortyArc - 05/12/2010 - 12:07
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18889-jupiter-loses-a-stripe.html
#14 - xxx@xxx.xx - 05/12/2010 - 13:48
PHOTOSHOP!!
#15 - Glen Danzig - 05/12/2010 - 19:47
it's the apocalypse.
#16 - SWIMDOLLYSINK - 05/13/2010 - 00:20
Looks like Jupiter got caught with his pants down.
#17 - brian - 05/13/2010 - 03:02
Jupiter is a hologram
What you are seeing is a hologram of Jupiter put in place and this is just proof that it is not the real Jupiter. Jupiter has metaphored into a Sun in February 2009. This hologram is just there to keep up the illusion that nothing changed just a little bit longer. But proof is being given so people can wake up as to what is going on.
#18 - tava6655 - 05/13/2010 - 11:05
As long as Saturn didn't lose one of its rings, we're safe.
#19 - Kim - 05/14/2010 - 22:14
Opportunity
But now social sites will be teeming with "When I was your age, Jupiter had two belts" fan clubs.
#20 - William - 05/15/2010 - 04:43
i thing is a torment in the planet like the huracan in the earth
#21 - jorge - 05/15/2010 - 07:47
wow
wow jupiter lossing one of his SEB is a big thing but just w8 jupiter hold even more surprises that what i think anyway
#22 - astronomer - 05/15/2010 - 09:46
It's Bush's fault
Might as well get a head start. One of the largest changes in our solar system and it wasn't caused by my SUV.
#23 - Thos Weatherby - 05/15/2010 - 11:50
Shoemaker Levy almost hit that stripe. The collisions added a lot of energy to the stew of gases adjacent to the strike sites. It would be interesting to see if this could be modeled. Has anyone done this work?
#24 - jlegasey - 05/15/2010 - 20:47
Amazing....At least I am not the only one who has lost a 'ring'!
#25 - Lisa - 05/17/2010 - 11:17
lost its belt?
I hope it's southern equatorial pants don't fall down!
#26 - Andrew - 05/17/2010 - 12:44
great red spot
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i cant believe it! i hope the storm doesnt stop! its history of jupiter....
#27 - Perrywinkle - 05/17/2010 - 16:18
The ancient Hebrews called Jupiter "Sedeq"....
... which means "righteousness" or "Messiah". So could what happens to Jupiter have religious significance?
#28 - Zeno333 - 05/21/2010 - 18:50
i
i dont know how to use your send me key thanks.for clarification
#29 - isral ibe - 05/22/2010 - 04:55
Global Warming
Someone is sure to blame this on Obama.
#30 - TK - 08/23/2010 - 16:59
I dont like it. I demand that Jupiter get its ring back.
#31 - just me - 01/29/2012 - 02:53
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