Scrub through 5 real published measurements of Jupiter's Great Red Spot to watch the storm's width shrink from about 41,000 km in the late 1800s to about 16,500 km in 2014, drawn proportionally against Jupiter's real 142,984 km diameter.
Each stop on the slider is a real, independently published storm-width measurement - not a smoothly interpolated shrink rate. Drag to orbit and scroll or pinch to zoom on the scene above.
For a different Jupiter feature entirely, see the Jupiter Magnetosphere 3D Explorer.
Great Red Spot Jupiter 3D Explorer
This browser explorer scrubs through 5 real published measurements of Jupiter's Great Red Spot, drawn to scale against Jupiter's real diameter, so you can see how much the storm has actually shrunk since the late 1800s.
Jupiter's equatorial diameter is about 142,984 km. The earliest telescopic size estimates, from the late 1800s, put the Great Red Spot's long axis at about 41,000 km - roughly 3 times Earth's diameter. When Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 flew past in 1979-1980, it measured about 23,300 km. The Hubble Space Telescope measured it at about 20,950 km in 1995, about 17,900 km in 2009, and about 16,500 km in 2014 - the smallest width measured up to that point. The storm has been continuously observed since at least 1831. It is an anticyclonic (high-pressure) storm rotating counterclockwise in Jupiter's southern hemisphere, centered around 22 degrees south latitude - unlike an Earth hurricane, it has no ocean or solid surface underneath supplying its energy. Winds in its high-speed outer ring blow at roughly 430-680 km/h; Hubble data from 2009 to 2020 found those outer winds speeding up by about 8%, while winds nearer the center move more slowly. NASA's Juno mission found the storm's roots reach about 480 km below the visible cloud tops. Jupiter itself completes one full rotation in about 9 hours 56 minutes, the fastest of any planet in the solar system. These figures come from NASA's Jupiter Facts page, NASA Goddard, NASA JPL, ESA/Hubble, and NASA's Juno mission reporting.
- Era slider (5 stops) redraws the storm at each real, published width measurement
- Facts panel shows the era, source, width in km, and the size compared to Earth's diameter
- A running table lists all 5 measurements at once, with the active one highlighted
- A small glowing dot ring marks the storm's fixed location and spins with Jupiter's rotation
- Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Era | Source | Long-axis width | vs Earth's diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late 1800s | Earliest telescopic size estimates | about 41,000 km | about 3.2x |
| 1979-1980 | Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 flybys | about 23,300 km | about 1.8x |
| 1995 | Hubble Space Telescope (WFPC2) | about 20,950 km | about 1.6x |
| 2009 | Hubble Space Telescope | about 17,900 km | about 1.4x |
| 2014 | Hubble Space Telescope | about 16,500 km | about 1.3x |
For Jupiter's magnetic environment rather than this storm, open the Jupiter Magnetosphere 3D Explorer.
Everything renders on your device with WebGL. The 3D engine loads once (about 0.7 MB) and is cached.
This is an educational approximation - Jupiter's cloud bands are drawn as artistic color stripes, not a photographic texture, and the storm's oval shape is stylized. Only the storm's width at each era is drawn proportionally correct against Jupiter's real diameter, and every width figure cited above is real and independently published by NASA and ESA/Hubble.
Frequently Asked Questions
How big is the Great Red Spot?
As of 2014 Hubble measurements, about 16,500 km along its long axis - the smallest width measured up to that point, and still about 1.3 times Earth's diameter.
Is the Great Red Spot really shrinking?
Yes. Its long-axis width has gone from about 41,000 km in the late 1800s telescopic estimates to about 23,300 km in 1979-1980 (Voyager), about 20,950 km in 1995, about 17,900 km in 2009, and about 16,500 km in 2014 (all Hubble).
How fast are its winds?
Roughly 430-680 km/h in the high-speed outer ring. Hubble data from 2009 to 2020 found those outer winds speeding up by about 8%, while winds nearer the center move more slowly.
How deep does the storm go?
NASA's Juno mission found the storm's roots reach about 480 km below the visible cloud tops.
How long has it been observed?
Continuously since at least 1831, though it may have been noticed even earlier.
Why does it not lose energy like an Earth hurricane?
It is an anticyclonic (high-pressure) storm with no ocean or solid surface underneath to drain its energy, unlike an Earth hurricane which is a low-pressure system fed by warm ocean water.
Is the on-screen storm shape to scale?
The storm's oval shape is a stylized artistic approximation, and Jupiter's cloud bands are drawn as flat color stripes, not a photographic texture. Only the storm's width at each era is drawn proportionally correct against Jupiter's real 142,984 km diameter.
How is this different from the Jupiter Magnetosphere explorer?
The Jupiter Magnetosphere 3D Explorer visualizes Jupiter's magnetic field and radiation environment. This page instead compares 5 real historical measurements of one visible storm, the Great Red Spot.
Where do these figures come from?
NASA's Jupiter Facts page, NASA Goddard, NASA JPL, ESA/Hubble's published Great Red Spot measurements, and NASA's Juno mission reporting.