Event Date: October 15th
Time: 10:00 PM/4:31(.27)AM
Brief
Jupiter is still about a month and a half from opposition, yet is a strong presence in the late evening sky now. It rises shortly after 9, and visible for the rest of the night, until the week of opposition for the latter scenario. While high enough to view during the morning hours during dawn and just after Sunset with the unaided eye, it gives us a good opportunity to see its belts and zones (dark and light bands respectively), as well as the Great Red Spot if viewed during a small window of hours.
Seen in Taurus near the Hyades star cluster, where we saw it this summer, Jupiter has retrograded back to the Hyades, where I display it in image one. For image two, I will show a zoom-in of the planet at transit during predawn hours. The magnification for that, for which you can use too if weather conditions are ideal, is 200x.
Time: 10:00 PM/4:31(.27)AM
Brief
Jupiter is still about a month and a half from opposition, yet is a strong presence in the late evening sky now. It rises shortly after 9, and visible for the rest of the night, until the week of opposition for the latter scenario. While high enough to view during the morning hours during dawn and just after Sunset with the unaided eye, it gives us a good opportunity to see its belts and zones (dark and light bands respectively), as well as the Great Red Spot if viewed during a small window of hours.
Seen in Taurus near the Hyades star cluster, where we saw it this summer, Jupiter has retrograded back to the Hyades, where I display it in image one. For image two, I will show a zoom-in of the planet at transit during predawn hours. The magnification for that, for which you can use too if weather conditions are ideal, is 200x.
 |
| click on images to enlarge: courtesy of Starry Night Pro Plus, version 6.4.3, by Simulation Curriculum Corp. |
Detailed
As shown in image two, all four Galilean moons are present, labeled as well. Since we are not viewing Jupiter at its equator, it means that the Moons don't all seem in line with each other. However, the plane of the orbits are similar to that of Jupiter and the ecliptic. Therefore, they often look to be almost in line, even if not all viewed by us either in front of or behind Jupiter. As for the belts and zones, they are crystalizing ammonia, or simply "clouds". The lighter zones are a result of upwelling, meaning that the ammonia is cooling as it rises. The darker belts are downwelling, and representing a darker color being warmer. If looking closely at Jupiter with very good seeing conditions, there seems to be a slight overlap when looking at the equatorial belts and zones-- those nearest to the equator.
As for the Great Red Spot, it is a huge storm on Jupiter, measured to be about 3 Earth-Diameters wide, and more than 1 up/down. With a rotational period of a little less than 10 hours, we can see the Red spot transit on consecutive mornings or evenings when dark enough. Depending how long you are viewing for during the night, and the length on the night depending on the season, that can factor into the weekly frequency of seeing the spot. There are tables that can be found online for Red Spot transit time tables (list one). It can be best using a blue or green filter when viewing the spot, to bring out better contrast of the red against the zones and belts. Good luck trying to see it, and try using a magnification no less than that shown above, so the spot is visible; 3-400x in magnification is even better. Remember, that ideal seeing conditions--being minimal humidity and wind--help see it better, as well as the belt/zone separation.
No comments:
Post a Comment