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THERE鈥橲 no privacy for Jupiter. Watchful amateur astronomers have spotted a new blemish on the giant planet鈥檚 face that may herald the return of a vanished stripe.
In April, the south equatorial belt (SEB), one of Jupiter鈥檚 two prominent brown bands, disappeared (see image, right). One explanation was that white ammonia clouds at high altitude might have covered it up.
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Now images taken on 9 November by Christopher Go in the Philippines, and others, reveal a bright white spot where the SEB used to lie. After the belt has vanished in the past, the sighting of such a spot has signalled major disturbances in Jupiter鈥檚 atmosphere, resulting in churning bright and dark patterns and the re-emergence of the SEB.
A team led by Leigh Fletcher of the University of Oxford is now planning more detailed observations of Jupiter with the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii.
