1,500 mph Winds On Neptune-Chase THAT!!

[Saul Trabal]

Oddly enough, given what I've read on the subject of thunderstorms on other planets, it's too bad there isn't more discussion about it. One recent news item on Cassini said it discovered massive columns of thunderstorms in Saturn's atmosphere that had lightning 10,000 times more powerful than Earth's.

So, my POV is this:

Earth-based storms are incredible. They blow me away-pun intended. I gaze in awe at them. They frighten me. I respect their power.

Now, take storms like that and make them the size of continents, or the size of planets like Earth. Make the lightning bolts so powerful that they could possibly destroy a small town or city. Make the thunder so loud that listening to it close-up could destroy your eardrums.

Imagine tornadoes coming from these storms that would make the worst F5 twister look like a mere summer breeze. Imagine these tornadoes being so huge that they could engulf whole cities, possibly states.

Now, try to imagine yourself looking at storms like this.

That where my excitement on severe alien weather comes from. And I believe we have those kinds of storms in our solar system.

 

[Saul Trabal]

This link has the news item on Saturn's thunderstorms.


I tell ya, if Cassini doesn't take CLOSE-UP pictures of the limb/cresent of Saturn from its night side, I'll be VERY, VERY dissapointed. I've seen pictures of Earth's limb taken from the night side, where you'd see thunderclouds mushroom into the sky. You could also see the surrounding cloud structures, as well as the blue sky and the sun shining through.

I must admit to being furious that this wasn't done with the Galileo spacecraft. Taking pictures of the storms from directly above is wonderful, but since we can't actually place a probe in the atmosphere of these gas giants to take pictures, this is the next best thing. Frankly, the more I think about it, the more furious I am. And I do remember some great shots of Jupiter's limb from the night side-but they weren't close-ups.

What a dissapointment.

 

[Andrew Khan]

I'll tell you, I don't care where those winds are...there still wind! I find it very important to know there is winds like this elsewhere...to a greater extent, however. If I could, I would go chase storms over there, lol...and it's only a matter of time until we get those storms here.... :lol:

 

[Angie Norris]

Amen, Saul!!!!!
Why do we humans have to be so arrogant that we have to compare everything that happens to what we only know about Earth and go into a non-acceptance mode if it doesn't compare to those expectations. Open up and be willing to expand to include the unknown and different.
There is some study being done in extra-terrestrial meteorology and we do have one prof here at OU who does just that (I know beause I asked my old astronomy prof). I just haven't worked up enough nerve to go talk to her (yes, I said her ) because I just don't really want to know how much more math would be involved in those classes :shock: :cry: .
I think it would be so awesome to investigate how weather behaves in the non-terrestrial setting.
Angie

 

[Andrew Khan]

Unfortunatly, I think that is just human nature....sad, isn't it? I accept it...

 

[Pat Lawrence]

For those wondering about the term meteorology being used regarding the weather patterns on other worlds:

http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/planets/

Read the last sentence. The article is on a NASA website...an organization that also has no small amount to do with the weather satellite images taken of earth. I'm not about to argue with the terminology they choose to use lol

I'd be rather interested to learn what every person's definition of a meteor is, as well Without doing a net cheat!

 

[Angie Norris]

I think the original Greek definition was the study of anything that falls out of the sky. Didn't specify what is falling or where the sky happens to be.... :wink:
Angie

 

[Pat Lawrence]

Originally posted by Angie Norris
I think the original Greek definition was the study of anything that falls out of the sky. Didn't specify what is falling or where the sky happens to be.... :wink:
Angie

My small attempt at humor...which I see you picked up on quickly Are you absolutely certain I was referring to the sky? lol That would imply I'm being an earth-centrist in everything I ever say or type....heaven forbid!

In any event, I just thought I'd have a little fun with this.

Pat

Ps I virtually chased Neptune for my current avatar Of course the image is from NASA.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

Also - if you want to get technical - the \"winds\" on that planet apparently don't manifest themselves in the form of a tornado - merely winds. I am sure that if all earth's tornado wind-speeds occurred as straight-line gusts, there wouldn't be half the chasers out there! We're visual creatures.......

Keep counting me in! I'd chase it for the FEEL of it. I'd be a multi-sensory chaser I suppose. I LOVE strong winds. Before anyone gets anal on my a$$ I realize I can't breathe there. And not to mention the fact that because I'd like it doesn't mean I'm saying they'd have to.

Perhaps someone needs to coin a phrase for other-wordly weather. And then post about it, on AstronomyTrack - the astral traveller's resource since space exploration began.

/annoying

Well, I found it more interesting than "welcome cold front". That should be on weather.com forums, not a CHASER forum! What chaser is happy to see a fall cold front(I admit sometimes I like them, but just trying to make a point). Sorry, doing my part for annoyances.

 

[nickgrillo]

Growing up in MI, I learned to love strong winds... And I chase for all aspects of severe weather (although tornadoes are a very special part of chasing).

Originally posted by Mike Hollingshead
Well, I found it more interesting than \"welcome cold front\". That should be on weather.com forums, not a CHASER forum! What chaser is happy to see a fall cold front(I admit sometimes I like them, but just trying to make a point). Sorry, doing my part for annoyances.

:lol: True, I suppose...

I wasn't really bothered by the thread at all, but I do see the point a few were trying to make. We need to keep this a storm chaser forum, people... Now get to making a thread about research on Derechos within a dry boundary layer immediately :wink:

 

[Scott Olson]

How about a chase to Jupiter and the Big Red Spot?

-This storm has been going on for at least 300 years.
- It is TWICE the size of the Earth.
- Lightning in Jupiters storms is said to be 10,000 more powerful than that on Earth.
- Anti-cyclonic
- Winds of 300mph+
- Even smallest storms would trump our Supercells and probably contain
unimaginable vortexes.


Even Mars which doesn't have nearly as powerful or amazing atmosphere as Jupiter has dust devils which could put some Earth tornadoes to shame.

http://homepage.mac.com/karsten/Tech%20Ram...20050823012035/

 

[Andrew Khan]

They say a dust devil on Mars is like a moderate tornado here on earth, thats how much mpre pwerful they are there. I wonder what the tornadoes would be like on Jupiter....I also wonder if you would get any structure from this, lol....it's like a major hurricane/supercane. How do storm start there, on Jupiter/Mars? How can they start with such inferior oxygen/air?

 

[Scott Olson]

Originally posted by Andrew Khan
They say a dust devil on Mars is like a moderate tornado here on earth, thats how much mpre pwerful they are there. I wonder what the tornadoes would be like on Jupiter....I also wonder if you would get any structure from this, lol....it's like a major hurricane/supercane. How do storm start there, on Jupiter/Mars? How can they start with such inferior oxygen/air?

Martian Dust Devils can reach several KM high and can range from 20 to 70mph (even greater perhaps). The reasoning for the storms is alot similar to that on our own planet that they consist of moist convection with atmospheric instability. Things that are different on Jupiter are:

1. Jupiters core supplies 70% of the energy.
2. Rain will evaporate prior to reaching the ground and the cycle repeats itself.

With a lot of the same dynamics involved (rising motion/instability/gaseous vapor+condensation/boundaries/pressure differentials) I don't see how there wouldn't be tornadoes associated with the thunderstorms on Jupiter.
Oxygen is not necessary Jupiters main cloud layer is frozen ammonia crystals (said to look like our Cirrus clouds). On Jupiter ammonia, phosphine, and water vapour, can condense.

It really dwarfs our atmosphere in size and makeup.

 

[Andrew Khan]

Wow...such a sustained life-cycle, that's why I guess it's been going on for so many years on Jupiter. Hmm, the core supplies energy there, thats really interesting man. What is the gravitational force on Jupiter, compared to ours?

Thanks for the information Scott.

 

[Saul Trabal]

Originally posted by Scott Olson
How about a chase to Jupiter and the Big Red Spot?

-This storm has been going on for at least 300 years.
- It is TWICE the size of the Earth.
- Lightning in Jupiters storms is said to be 10,000 more powerful than that on Earth.
- Anti-cyclonic
- Winds of 300mph+
- Even smallest storms would trump our Supercells and probably contain
unimaginable vortexes.

I wrote a story about that, on my site TRABAL CREATIONS.

BTW-that info on Jupiter's lightning strength is inaccurate. I've seen that "factoid" in a couple of books. In fact, I saw lots of conflicting info in different areas on the strength of Jupiter's lightning. :roll:

It finally took an email to the folks behind the Galileo probe (which went to Jupiter) to get the right answer: Jupiter's lightning is 1,000 times more powerful than Earth's.

And I think 3 Earths could fit in the Great Red Spot. It's 25,000 miles long and 8,000 miles wide. :shock: