A very big storm
Jupiter's Great Red Spot is several times larger than earth. It is located in Jupiter's southern hemisphere 22 degrees south of the equator. It rotates counterclockwise, making it an anticyclonic storm. For reasons unknown cyclonic storms on Jupiter are unstable and do not last nearly as long as the anticyclonic counter parts. The Spot is confined to a belt in the southern hemisphere by a eastward jet to its south and a westward jet to its north. The Storm is thought to be caused by Coriolis forces acting on rising and falling gases. As the gases rise the rotation of the belt causes them to rotate. Since there is no ground to dampen the the circulation the storms created by these forces can last longer. These storms also cause mixing between atmospheric layers in Jupiter. This is one of the purposed causes of The Great Red Spot's color.
