Jupiter events plentiful this August!

Dave_Lillis wrote:

The moon next to Jupiter last night was super.
Is it my imagination or is Jupiter brighter this year then it has been in previous years ?

I was thinking that myself a few nights ago,
maybe it's just that it is at opposition and that we
have not seen it that high in a while?
or a combination of the two?
Either way,
I am reallly itching to do some good observing / imaging of Jupiter
this time around.
I remember thinking we had ages to observe Saturn...
now it's gone...
how fast time go's!

You really have to make each clear night count in this country!

so, a hot night ... and around 1h15 BST a look on Jupiter with 200x. Not quite sharp image. However, shadow of Ganymede was obvious. Just a bit more attention needed for the shadow of Europa. Both with enough contrast on the white stroke between the two belts. Suddenly, also Ganymede itself was visible as a tiny point. This rather is always difficult, but now you couldn't miss it. But trying to see Europa itself ... that failed. After a short quarter, went inside again.

Oh... I envy you. Sounds like a great observation!

Sounds like your weather is considerably better than ours up here. We did get a spot of sun this morning, but only through broken cloud.

-- Jeff.

While I missed both the double shadow transits, I did manage to catch the first half of a single (Io) last night.

Jupiter 8/20/2009 21:56 UT; Pickering 9, NELM 6, SQM 20.7
16" Mak-Cass, TV 25 Plossls & Baader MkV binoviewer, 225X

Shadow transit of Io in progress. Shadow blurry perhaps 80% of the time and somewhat crisp 20%, but never as crisp as Callisto's was last month. The altitude is just killing the seeing as I recorded Pickering 9 near zenith and it's no better than 4 or 5 at Jupiter's altitude (18°). Smudge often visible leading shadow, which sometimes (perhaps 5% of the time) sharpens into a somewhat circular patch nearly touching the shadow, but never really into a disk.

Wealth of detail in the NEB, much of it spilling out into the EZ. Opposite border of NEB (with NTZ) much sharper and more uniform. Large rift in central SEB trailing Io's shadow and extending off the limb. Some detail (several barges and other mottling) in NTB, and fleeting hints of detail (a rift or brightening down the center) in STB. South polar region heavily shaded, but no detail visible. All in all, probably more detail on the surface than I've ever seen before.

I also gave it a go in my big binoculars, but to no avail.

Jupiter 8/20/2009 22:56 UT; Pickering 9, NELM 6, SQM 20.7
Nikon 18x70

Both equatorial belts visible at center of disk, but fading out to either limb. No shadow of Io visible. Nice color though, and in general a very pleasing view.

Cheers,
-- Jeff.

Nice report there Jeff, I got a look and some sketches of the second half of the IO transit .
22:40 UT . 23:20 UT and 23:40 UT with some extra bits , will post later when I either take photo's or scan them .

Deirdre Kelleghan
Outreach Coordinator IFAS
www.irishastronomy.org/
www.deirdrekelleghan.com/
twitter.com/skysketcher

I look forward to your sketches Deirdre; I got clouded out right after getting all my sketching materials out. By the time I got back in the house it was clear again (of course), so that's when I took a quick peek through the binos.

Cheers,
-- Jeff.