I just got home from some early morning observing on the Skyline Drive. I wanted to catch Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune when they were high in the sky – this after watching the conjunction in the western sky yesterday evening at dusk. I missed Pluto – forgot to take finder charts with me – but it’s not a planet any more, so I can still say that I observed all planets in one night, right? I’m no Jupiter expert but I saw something last night that left me wondering if a revival of the south equatorial belt has already begun. I began watching Jupiter around 2:30, just prior to the Red Spot transit, predicted to occur at 9:04 UT (3:04 MDT). I noticed a very prominent short dark feature on the trailing side (west, right?) of the GRS that began just off the southern limb of the GRS and extended west for some distance, maybe 20 or 30 degrees. By comparison, it was much narrower than the NEB. Does anyone have enough observing experience with Jupiter to be able to say if something special is really going on, or is this just normal? I couldn’t make it to SPOC last night, but this trip to Skyline Drive was pretty spectacular. Warm, air very still with not even the slightest breeze, good seeing, dark, and close to home. ;-) Besides Jupiter, NGC 253 was especially fine last night. Kim
Thanks for the nice report, Kim. NGC 253 just knocked my over the first time I looked at it, and I still love it. I'm surprised that more astronomers don't rave about it, because it's so bright, large and detailed. Best wishes, Joe --- On Sun, 8/15/10, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote: From: Kim <kimharch@cut.net> Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Jupiter To: "'Utah Astronomy'" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Date: Sunday, August 15, 2010, 7:10 AM I just got home from some early morning observing on the Skyline Drive. I wanted to catch Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune when they were high in the sky – this after watching the conjunction in the western sky yesterday evening at dusk. I missed Pluto – forgot to take finder charts with me – but it’s not a planet any more, so I can still say that I observed all planets in one night, right? I’m no Jupiter expert but I saw something last night that left me wondering if a revival of the south equatorial belt has already begun. I began watching Jupiter around 2:30, just prior to the Red Spot transit, predicted to occur at 9:04 UT (3:04 MDT). I noticed a very prominent short dark feature on the trailing side (west, right?) of the GRS that began just off the southern limb of the GRS and extended west for some distance, maybe 20 or 30 degrees. By comparison, it was much narrower than the NEB. Does anyone have enough observing experience with Jupiter to be able to say if something special is really going on, or is this just normal? I couldn’t make it to SPOC last night, but this trip to Skyline Drive was pretty spectacular. Warm, air very still with not even the slightest breeze, good seeing, dark, and close to home. ;-) Besides Jupiter, NGC 253 was especially fine last night. Kim _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Hey Kim, At SPOC last night, we watched Jupiter from the time it crested the mountain. Io was closing in on the planet and the shadow of the eclipse was crossing the disk below the larger dark cloud band. Bruce, Sigfried and I were all observing it. Is this what you were referring to? Dale ________________________________ From: Kim <kimharch@cut.net> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Sun, August 15, 2010 7:10:20 AM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Jupiter I just got home from some early morning observing on the Skyline Drive. I wanted to catch Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune when they were high in the sky – this after watching the conjunction in the western sky yesterday evening at dusk. I missed Pluto – forgot to take finder charts with me – but it’s not a planet any more, so I can still say that I observed all planets in one night, right? I’m no Jupiter expert but I saw something last night that left me wondering if a revival of the south equatorial belt has already begun. I began watching Jupiter around 2:30, just prior to the Red Spot transit, predicted to occur at 9:04 UT (3:04 MDT). I noticed a very prominent short dark feature on the trailing side (west, right?) of the GRS that began just off the southern limb of the GRS and extended west for some distance, maybe 20 or 30 degrees. By comparison, it was much narrower than the NEB. Does anyone have enough observing experience with Jupiter to be able to say if something special is really going on, or is this just normal? I couldn’t make it to SPOC last night, but this trip to Skyline Drive was pretty spectacular. Warm, air very still with not even the slightest breeze, good seeing, dark, and close to home. ;-) Besides Jupiter, NGC 253 was especially fine last night. Kim _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
The SEB has disappeared completely in small scopes at least once before this time, during my observing career, that I can remember. 42+ years. And since there were years-long periods when I could only observe sporadically, it may have happened more often. A human lifetime is so brief, and the lifetime of the universe so long, that I refuse to accept anything I see in the eyepiece during my life as "special" or otherwise unique. It would take incredible hubris to think otherwise. Now, the possibility certainly exists. But the chances of it truly being unique are "astronomically" small. ;o) On 8/15/10, Dale Wilson <dalel2112@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hey Kim,
At SPOC last night, we watched Jupiter from the time it crested the mountain. Io was closing in on the planet and the shadow of the eclipse was crossing the disk below the larger dark cloud band. Bruce, Sigfried and I were all observing it. Is this what you were referring to?
Dale
________________________________ From: Kim <kimharch@cut.net> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Sun, August 15, 2010 7:10:20 AM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Jupiter
I just got home from some early morning observing on the Skyline Drive. I wanted to catch Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune when they were high in the sky – this after watching the conjunction in the western sky yesterday evening at dusk. I missed Pluto – forgot to take finder charts with me – but it’s not a planet any more, so I can still say that I observed all planets in one night, right?
I’m no Jupiter expert but I saw something last night that left me wondering if a revival of the south equatorial belt has already begun. I began watching Jupiter around 2:30, just prior to the Red Spot transit, predicted to occur at 9:04 UT (3:04 MDT). I noticed a very prominent short dark feature on the trailing side (west, right?) of the GRS that began just off the southern limb of the GRS and extended west for some distance, maybe 20 or 30 degrees. By comparison, it was much narrower than the NEB. Does anyone have enough observing experience with Jupiter to be able to say if something special is really going on, or is this just normal?
I couldn’t make it to SPOC last night, but this trip to Skyline Drive was pretty spectacular. Warm, air very still with not even the slightest breeze, good seeing, dark, and close to home. ;-) Besides Jupiter, NGC 253 was especially fine last night.
Kim
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_______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com
participants (4)
-
Chuck Hards -
Dale Wilson -
Joe Bauman -
Kim