Jupiter (animation of the motion of clouds in the atmosphere)

This short animation shows the motion of the atmosphere of Jupiter near the red spot. This motion is counter clockwise. These images have been made with the small field camera of the Cassini space probe with a blue filter between October 1 and 5, 2000 during 7 rotations of the planet.

The planet Jupiter is fluid and these motions are referred to the magnetic field of Jupiter rotating with the planet. The motions westward are slower than the magnetic field and the motions eastward are slightly faster. Positions and velocities of these fluxes seem to remain unchanged since at least one century.

The large red spot is a center of high pressures providing the energy to the connected fluxes. The small spots rae 500km in diameter.