Intellect Plus
Open the feed Get the app
By Intellect Plus Intellect Uncovered

For the endlessly curious.

Open the feed Get the app Surprise me Topics Latest How it works Support

Space · Jupiter's Great Red Spot

What causes Jupiter's Great Red Spot?

A high-resolution satellite image of Jupiter's Great Red Spot, showing its swirling atmospheric patterns and surrounding storm systems.
NASA/JPL. Public domain. Original.

The short answer

The exact formation mechanism of Jupiter's Great Red Spot remains hidden1. However, it most likely formed from a flow disturbance between two opposed Jovian zonal jets1. The storm is a swirling mass of clouds caused by tremendous winds above the rapidly spinning planet6. It maintains its strength due to jetstreams moving at 300 to 400 mph3. The storm exists because Jupiter has no solid ground to weaken it2. It is also sustained by a balance of energy flowing in and out of the storm4.

What the evidence shows

Formation and Dynamics

New numerical simulations rule out that the Great Red Spot formed from a superstorm or the merging of vortices1. It likely began as a flow disturbance between the zonal jets north and south of it1.

The storm is caused by tremendous winds that blow counterclockwise at about 250 miles per hour6. These winds develop above the rapidly spinning planet6.

Atmospheric Energy

The storm is caused by a balance of energy flowing in and out4. Energy flows in as the spot consumes smaller storms and mixes with the surrounding atmosphere4.

Energy is also radiated into space4. The storm may be shrinking because less energy is being fed in and more is slowly dissipating away4.

Color and Composition

The ruddy color is likely caused by simple chemicals being broken apart by sunlight in the upper atmosphere5. The spot's clouds are much higher than those elsewhere on the planet5.

One leading theory suggests a colorless layer of ammonium hydrosulfide could react with cosmic rays or ultraviolet radiation from the sun2. Researchers believe the color is a product of sunlight effects rather than chemicals coming from beneath the clouds5.

Our take

This part is our own interpretation, not a sourced finding.

It is surprising that the storm might be 'pretty bland' in color beneath its upper cloud layer5. This suggests the iconic red appearance is a surface phenomenon rather than a deep atmospheric trait.

What we can't say for sure

The formation mechanism remains hidden1. Scientists do not know exactly how or even whether certain chemicals react to give the spot its colors2.

Sources

  1. Sánchez-Lavega, Agustín. [2406.13222] The Origin of Jupiter's Great Red Spot. arXiv.org. research paper, accessed 1 November 2026.
  2. Jupiter’s Great Red Spot: A Swirling Mystery - NASA. NASA. official, accessed 1 November 2026.
  3. https://www.space.com/author/doris-elin-salazar. Jupiter's Great Red Spot Could Disappear Within 20 Years | Space. Space. other website, accessed 1 November 2026.
  4. https://www.space.com/author/robert-roy-britt. Jupiter's Great Red Spot Is Shrinking | Space. Space. other website, accessed 1 November 2026.
  5. Is Jupiter's Great Red Spot a Sunburn? - NASA Science. NASA Science. official, accessed 1 November 2026.
  6. https://www.space.com/author/space-com-staff. Jupiter Data Sheet | Space. Space. other website, accessed 1 November 2026.

Published 1 November 2026. Sources last checked 1 November 2026. Prepared with automated tools and checked against the sources named here: how we work. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.

Surprise me

Keep exploring in Intellect Plus

VideoJupiter's Great Red Spot is shrinking, but the cause remains a mystery VideoJupiter's Great Red Spot may be starving for fuel VideoJupiter's Great Red Spot is a storm that refuses to die VideoJupiter's Great Red Spot hides roots 200 miles deep in its atmosphere CardJupiter's Great Red Spot is a storm bigger than Earth, and it is shrinking. CardJupiter's atmosphere is a chaotic, fluid engine that lacks any solid ground to land on. VideoJupiter is not a failed star, but a remarkably successful planet CardJupiter acts as a cosmic broom, sweeping the asteroid belt clean VideoJupiter is a massive, terrifying planet that still holds secrets CardJupiter’s faint rings are a dynamic graveyard of moon dust and cosmic debris CardJupiter is the solar system's ultimate blueprint for origins CardJupiter's Great Red Spot has been raging for at least 340 years

More questions

A digital illustration of a starry space scene featuring a bright star and two large, shadowed celestial bodies resembling planets or moons. SpaceWhy is Pluto not a planet? An artistic rendering of a black hole with a glowing orange accretion disk against a black background. SpaceHow do black holes exist? A pale half Moon against a deep blue late-afternoon sky SpaceWhy can you see the Moon during the day? Bright blue bands of light along breaking waves on a dark beach under a starry sky NatureWhy does the sea glow blue at night? A cluster of white and purple bamboo flowers blooming in a misty, lush green forest. NatureWhat happens when bamboo flowers? A close-up of a leaf covered in small, orange-yellow spots of rust fungus. Everyday ScienceHow does rust form? A digital illustration showing a network of satellites in orbit above a landscape featuring a large circular solar farm at twilight. TechnologyWhy are satellites important? A wide landscape shot of a desert featuring a large saguaro cactus in the foreground, dry brush, and rugged mountains under a clear blue sky. EarthWhy do deserts exist?

See all answers