WhyCosmo

For centuries, astronomers have been fascinated by Jupiter’s Great Red Spot , a massive windstorm swirling with powerful winds and a fiery red hue. But new research suggests this iconic storm might not be as “permanent” as once believed. 🪐 Records of a spot on Jupiter in the vicinity of the Great Red Spot (pictured) go back hundreds of years. New research reveals that today’s Great Red Spot is not the same as a spot seen in the 1600s. That spot vanished and, someday, the Great Red Spot could too. A Glimpse into the Past 🌠 In the 1600s, astronomers observed a dark, oval-shaped spot on Jupiter’s surface. This feature, dubbed the “Permanent Spot,” seemed destined to remain on the planet forever. However, from 1713, observations of Jupiter no longer showed any signs of this Permanent Spot. Fast forward to 1831, and a new spot appeared—one resembling today’s Great Red Spot. But there’s a twist: historical observations reveal that the Great Red Spot has been shrinking. Agustín Sánchez‐Lave...

The International Space Station (ISS) is facing one of its biggest challenges as NASA and Russia's Roscosmos reveal a worrying update. A long-standing leak, identified in the Russian segment of the ISS back in 2019, has escalated. According to a recent report, 50 "areas of concern" have now been documented, with four cracks and persistent leaks raising concerns about astronaut safety. The International Space Station.   (Image credit: NASA) The Ongoing Struggle to Fix the ISS Leak NASA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a new report in September, confirming that fixing this leak is an urgent safety priority for astronauts on board. The leaks, originating in the Zvezda module (part of the Russian segment), were first patched up, but cracks persist. The cracks are located near a hatch, and NASA has arranged a compromise with Roscosmos to close it as much as possible during nighttime for extra safety. While NASA assures the leak doesn’t pose an immediate risk, i...