Scientists have discovered a giant new storm on Neptune that ’s about the sizing of our planet .
The uncovering was made by Ned Molter from the University of California , Berkeley . Using the Keck Observatory in Hawaii , he was able to spot this monumental storm .
It measures about 9,000 kilometers ( 5,600 mile ) across , which is one - third the length of Neptune ’s radius . It was seen around Neptune ’s equator , a region of the planet not usually colligate with storm like this .
" ascertain a violent storm this bright at such a low latitude is extremely surprising , " said Molter in astatement . " Normally , this expanse is really quiet and we only see bright clouds in the mid - latitude bands , so to have such an tremendous swarm sit around mighty at the equator is spectacular . "
storm are normally seen on Neptune closer to the poles , around 15 to 60 degree northward or southward of the equator . This is cerebrate to be the first storm ever see in this location .
Wind speeds at Neptune ’s equator can reach up to 1,600 kilometer per hour ( 1,000 mph ) , which is more than 10 meter stronger than anything on Earth .
It ’s thought this particular violent storm may be driven by a dark vortex inside Neptune . The clouds of the storm span many latitudes , so something must be holding it together . It may also be a huge convective swarm , although if so this should dissipate in about a hebdomad .
Neptune ’s most famous violent storm is arguably itsGreat Dark Spot , fancy by the Voyager 2 ballistic capsule in 1989 , which span up to 13,000 kilometers ( 8,000 miles ) across . Unlike storms on Jupiter , which can last for hundreds of age , those on Neptune typically only last a few years or so . This up-to-the-minute storm hints at some sort of regular issue on the satellite .
" This shows that there are exceedingly drastic changes in the dynamics of Neptune ’s atmosphere , and perhaps this is a seasonal weather event that may happen every few decades or so , " said Imke de Pater , Molter ’s consultant , in the statement .
Learning more about Neptune ’s standard atmosphere can help us empathize more about its global circulation . With many exoplanets found to be the size of Neptune , this can separate us more about the atmospheres of worlds outside our Solar System .
