The above are the mean periods derived from a large number of markings.
The bay or hollow in the great southern equatorial belt north of the red
spot has perhaps been observed for a longer period than any other
feature on Jupiter except the red spot itself. H. Schwabe saw the hollow
in the belt on the 5th of September 1831 and on many subsequent dates.
The rotation period of this object during the seventy years to the 5th
of September 1901 was 9 h. 55 m. 36 s. from 61,813 rotations. Since 1901
the mean period has been 9 h. 55 m. 40 s., but it has fluctuated between
9 h. 55 m. 38 s. and 9 h. 55 m. 42 s. The motion of the various features
is not therefore dependent upon their latitude, though at the equator
the rate seems swifter as a rule than in other zones. But exceptions
occur, for in 1880 some spots appeared in about 23° N. which rotated in
9 h. 48 m. though in the region immediately N. of this the spot motion
is ordinarily the slowest of all and averages 9 h. 55 m. 53.8 s. (from
twenty determinations). These differences of speed remind us of the
sun-spots and their proper motions. The solar envelope, however, appears
to show a pretty regular retardation towards the poles, for according to
Gustav Spörer's formula, while the equatorial period is 25 d. 2 h. 15 m.
the latitudes 46° N. and S. give a period of 28 d. 15 h. 0 m.
The Jovian currents flow in a due east and west direction as though
mainly influenced by the swift rotatory movement of the globe, and
exhibit little sign of deviation either to N. or S. These currents do
not blend and pass gradually into each other, but seem to be definitely
bounded and controlled by separate, phenomena well capable of preserving
their individuality. Occasionally, it is true, there have been slanting
belts on Jupiter (a prominent example occurred in the spring of 1861),
as though the materials were evolved with some force in a polar
direction, but these oblique formations have usually spread out in
longitude and ultimately formed bands parallel with the equator. The
longitudinal currents do not individually present us with an equable
rate of motion. In fact they display some curious irregularities, the
spots carried along in them apparently oscillating to and fro without
any reference to fixed periods or cyclical variations. Thus the
equatorial current in 1880 moved at the rate of 9 h. 50 m. 6 s. whereas
in 1905 it was 9 h. 50 m. 33 s. The red spot in the S. tropical zone
gave 9 h. 55 m. 34 s. in 1879-1880, whereas during 1900-1908 it has
varied a little on either side of 9 h. 55 m. 40.6 s. Clearly therefore
no fixed period of rotation can be applied for any spot since it is
subject to drifts E. or W. and these drifts sometimes come into
operation suddenly, and may be either temporary or durable. Between 1878
and 1900 the red spot in the planet's S. hemisphere showed a continuous
retardation of speed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account