Happy New Year!
The weather has been quite uncooperative lately, but skies were clear and steady enough last night for these images of Jupiter, now well-past opposition.
Jan 082013
Dec 142012
The forecast for last night was for average seeing. Good luck prevail, though, and the conditions exceeded expectations for these views showing the GRS just rotating over the preceding limb with Oval BA well out ahead of it now, but with the dark red spot appearing to keep pace with it. The NEB is quiet except for a few bright spots, as is the SEB other than the dark red streak with the light spot behind it.
The first image shows Europa off to the lower right.
And a few minutes later, after Oval BA had rotated into view a bit better.
And in IR
Dec 072012
Despite very cold temperatures (around 24F, or about -4C) and a thick haze and low clouds, there were stable skies for these images of Jupiter last night, showing the GRS rotating toward the central meridian.
And one more from just a few minutes later…
Dec 012012
Over the past week, I was lucky enough to get images of Jupiter showing the same central meridian (think of that as the longitude of the planet at the center of our view). Two images of CM=207 taken almost exactly a week apart (0351ut on Nov. 23, 2012 and 0438ut on Nov. 30, 2012) were used to make this animation showing the motion of Jupiter’s clouds over the span of a week. Please note that the intermediate frames are simulated.
It’s interesting to note the bright patches developing in the equatorial zone (that also seems to be pushing northward a bit), as well as the motion of Oval BA relative to the GRS. Also, a very bright spot is erupting in the SEB following the GRS.
* The Nov. 30 image was reduced in size to correspond to the apparent diameter of Jupiter during the earlier session.
Nov 302012
The seeing was fair last night for this image of Jupiter, showing the GRS. Jupiter’s nearing its’ December 3rd opposition for this year and has grown to nearly the largest apparent diameter that it will achieve before beginning to recede away from us next week.
And in IR, where the seeing was a bit better…
