Jupiter 2 Nov

One of the best nights observing Jupiter. Quick check of alignment and seeing on Aldebaran revealed a clean Airy pattern and about 9/10 seeing, generally. Beautifully solid diffraction ring and Airy disc. Didn't spend any more time wondering...

Okay, so Jupiter just seems to freeze and a ton of small detail features become crystal clear during the steadiest moments. We all know the experience, and last night was better than average. Still a few bits of blurred seeing, but more often than not pretty darn nice.

The NTB was clearly bifurcated with the darker feature exhibiting some darker knots. The NEB had several brighter rifts running through it. This is nearly the same CM as a few nights ago, so I looked for similar rift features. They did appear somewhat changed from a previous observation. Either that, or the CM was about 10 degrees off. Still, searching for familiar features was difficult. Makes me wonder if they have changed a bit or whether they moved along the system I.

The long festoon on the meridian is the longest festoon I have personally witnessed. It was long, thin, and very apparent. It almost appeared to reach out for the SEB. A not so faint EZ was seen, too.

The SEB was definitely multi toned with a darker center almost sweeping upward toward the preceding limb. In fact, it had a thinner darker feature running up it's length. The northern edge of the SEB was a bit lighter with very definite brighter spots and a molted appearance. The southern edge of the SEB near the trailing edge was also a bit lighter. I am not sure I have ever seen the SEB this well.

The NPR had two fairly faint bands near the meridian (they are too dark in the sketch.) The SPR had a band stretching across the disc. It varied in tone as shown. A fainter band was briefly seen just below on the preceding edge. Now, remarkably, there was a faint band in the Southern tropical zone on the trailing edge. I believe this is also a first for me.

Now, the night was so good, I decided to include some features I thought I glimpsed. It seems a waste not to go out on a limb to include them when conditions were so good and the adrenaline flowing.

I actually might have glimpsed some ovals in the SPR. Their placement is a bit odd, but I did glimpse something as shown or close to it. And also, one brighter spot in the NPR? Really not sure it's there, but hey...I thought I saw it and am hanging out on that limb, here. And I am pretty sure there is a bright knot on the SEB along it's longitudinal axis near the trailing edge. Two darker spots along the SEB's southern edge seemed to pop up periodically, so they got sketched, too. I am dying to study a current image of this CM to verify some of those more difficult observations.

Anyway, observation began about 2 Nov 1600UT and lasted for an hour and a half. Beginning CM I:170 II:14 III:62, seeing (9/10) and transparency very good with the moon nearby.

Wonderful night when Jupiter just "pops" like that...thanks for sharing. (Pete, nailed "The Paw" last night, too. )

Really fine work. On the best nights sith my 8" in the past the polar regions begin to pop details too. Not the b-c spots but those seemingly anoymous spots and such. I don't doubt at all that your mak is gurnk.g out similar details under the seeing you mention. As it is the last planet my 6 Celestron saw was Saturn. I EAGER eager to see it show its stuff on jupiter too. Today its windy in ct but clear and cold. My day is long todsy but perhaps a 70mm view tonight with the Abbes.

That's a great sketch Nofme and I've studied the nuances in spots and belts and such. The Paw by the way can u make sketch of it? Is it seen as one unifying structhre or are the individual craters noted?

Sounds like an unforgettable night.

Pete

Ohioans... such are my typos from an android not as easyyo use as my ipod touch. Grung.k I think was meant go be "turning". I love android but its no iphone or ipod.

Pete

Ohians.... what's that.... only my Android knows.

Pete

LOL, typos. It's okay.

Yes, individual craters in crater form. Was curious if it could be done soon after full moon. Sabine C and the Paw were pretty easy at times. Small, but definitely in crater form.

Not sure what you mean by unifying structure, but they are there along one arm of a lighter "X" shaped albedo feature just south of Aldrin and Collins. I did make a sketch last year, but never posted it. Even thought to map smaller craters that night. I might still have the sketch, lemme check. There is a bright rill running south, no? I did see that last night and should have sketched it.

Pete, either I am gaining experience with observing Jupiter or the scope is just performing well even without the baffle. But, last night was just stellar. Man, how I wish you would grab your 6" or 8" and see the same. A pleasure shared is a pleasure doubled.

I am EAGER for you, too. Jupiter is just killing me. Tonight I went drinking, but so tempted to take the scope out, again. Better not...better sleep it off.

Edit: Ooops, just checked, maybe the Paw was the third crater and unseen. I saw two last night, Sabine C was one and the other might not have been the Paw. But, I have seen them, all three...last night just two. *BLEEP*, maybe I did not observe the Paw, after all.

Norme,

Very good sketch of Jupiter .

CS,KLU,



Tom

Norme, I really envy the seeing in your neck of the woods.

Ed D

Ed, it's hard express how blessed I feel to have happened under such skies. The best I've seen in 40 years. When the seeing is good, it's just amazing.

Thank both of you.

Wow, Norme! That is an insane degree of detail. I'm impressed by the clarity in the SPR, namely those white ovals...simply beautiful. You really are getting some very good fine surface views with that 6". Good for you to have a 9/10 evening. I would still be glowing over such an experience. Those rare nights from the past few years are still in easily accessible regions of my memory.

Jason, sometimes I joke Jupiter is just jaw dropping. I left it out back and am afraid a cat will drag it off. Observing Jupiter still takes a good hour to really allow time for the finest details to show themselves more than once. However, when those steady moments are longer and more frequent in very good conditions, it can really be exciting and leave a nice warm glow.

stunning view

yes, jupiter takes time to let the details sink in. and if seeing is that good, you're in a hurry as well to get everything on paper because of it's fast rotation

One thing about cats, you can't trust them. Believe me, I have three. David Levy was right about those beasts.

Feral cats everywhere, round here. They flourish on the mice and rats and pet birds. And an occasional human jaw bone.

Kris, absolutely, always racing the rotation. About an hour is pushing it for me, but always need more time. At times, the rotation has been reflected in the sketch with the northern hemisphere rotated 10 degrees more than the south. Man, if you get behind the power curve, it can get hard to place features accurately.

Norme,

Beautifully done. You are picking up very fine detail in this Jupiter sketch.
Almost got to make a sketch a couple of days back, scope set up, waiting for a cool down - then heavy cloud cover for the remainder of the night.
I'm enjoying Jupiter through sketches by others especially yours.

Frank

Frank, thank you for saying so. I am flattered. You know, this year has been great so far. Yes, the sketch above was one of those OMG moments and the most detailed I have been able to put up. Not sure why, maybe seeing or more experience is helping immensely.

I cannot wait until you get some sketches up, Frank. It was quite enjoyable seeing your work during the Mars fly by. I'd almost bet Jupiter will excite many of us this season. I cannot wait for you to see what's there to be seen, too. And I feel your pain on the clouds, same happened tonight.

Fantastic work! Liking the plethora of detail. Jupiter not well placed for quality observations here as maximum azimuth only 26 degrees

Nice drawing. I know how that feels when you get that good night..... There are times when you go for a long time without such a night, and you forget just how much can be seen when things are right. I remember a night in 2004 when the seeing popped into place for me and I saw more in an old Meade Newtonian than I would have thought possible.

Keep drawing! GW

Astron, I am at 16N latitude, Jupiter is pretty much on the Zenith a little after midnight. Doing some quick math, it should be above 60 degrees in altitude in the mid US, eh? You must be further north or south?

Thank you, Glen. Oh yes, planetary sketching is what reinvigorated my love for observing.

I think it might bring mine back too, Norme. I will try to make a sketch next time and post it. GW

Please do, Glenn.