Consult the manual for your software to find out how to set the longitude of the Red Spot. Its current longitude, as of late November, is 188° in Jupiter’s System 2 longitude system. To get the Red Spot’s most up-to-date position, visit: http://jupos.privat.t-online.de/rGrs.htm

The red dots mark the actual raw measured positions of the Great Red Spot in longitude (across the chart) against the date (down the chart).

There is also this simple calculator via Sky & Telescope magazine, which will give you the approximate times the Red Spot transits Jupiter’s central meridian for any date.

Choose a time within an hour of one of these transit times.

Jupiter's Great Pink Spot?

The last thing you need to know when looking for the Red Spot is that it is no longer red. Its current color is best described as a very pale salmon pink. Most of the time the Red Spot is not visible by where it is, but rather where it isn’t. Because it is lighter in tone than the South Equatorial Belt in which it resides, it is most often seen as a hollow in the south side of that belt, sometimes called the Red Spot Hollow.

Be forewarned that most photos of Jupiter have been processed to exaggerate the contrast and colors of Jupiter’s atmospheric features. The real planet has much fainter markings than you see in pictures.

Also be prepared to use averted vision to detect the faint markings: Look slightly off to one side of the planet. Finally, be patient. Planetary features only pop into view now and then when we get a steadier moment in our atmosphere.

• Stunning Night Sky Photos of November 2012
• More Tips and Tools from Starry Night Education
• Surprising Explosion on Jupiter Captured By Amateur Astronomer | Video

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