The Dutch Observatory

Imaged Jupiter this morning.  At least the sky was not covered with clouds but transparency and seeing were not great.  Here Jupiter with the GRS a little after it passed the CM.  Normally I get the ephemerides from Winjupos, but had a problem with it this morning.  Listed data is from Jupiter2.

Monday morning the sky was filled with thousands of small puffy clouds despite the CSC forecast, but Tuesday morning the transparency was a lot better despite a worse forecast but far from prefect.  Brian Comb reminded me on using a higher focal length, which I had not done on Jupiter this season yet.  Here two images made at F/22 using the Meade 140 2x barlow. 

Jupiter this morning 2010-06-25 at 5:34:15 ET, 15 minutes before Europa crosses the central meridian. 

Jupiter in the morning of 2010-06-23.  The GRS is about to transit the CM.  this was the last image but it has some indications of ringing.  This ringing problem becomes evidenced at a frame rate of 60.  The DMK works best if the frame rate is less than 60. 

Had another chance to image this morning.  Jupiter, this time with Io approaching on the right. 

We had an outreach event Saturday evening, so I did not make it up to image on Sunday morning, but today was alright.  We had a little ground fog, but the seeing and transparency were OK.  Here the first image I took this morning.  Subsequent images got worse as the sun started to rise.  Io is starting its transit at the following limb as its shadow is appraoching the GRS.

Imaged Jupiter this morning.  Transparancy was variable as a layer of thin high clouds kept moving through.  The SEB can faintly be seen but is distinct in the green and blue images.  Io is just getting ready to finish its transit just below the GRS at the edge of the planetary disc.

Tonight was another opportunity for a mutual event with the moons Ganymede and Io.  Ganymede would occult Io starting at 22:20 UT and complete the occultation at 22:46 UT.  Both moons were travelling in the same direction.  In addition, the images taken see a moon shadow beginning a transit of Jupiter around 22:59 UT   and another shadow leaving the disk at approx. 22:55.  The problem was that local sunset was at 22:32 UT.  So I would need to start imaging before the sun had set.  I used my binoculars to locate Jupiter, but it took me until a few minutes into the event to get things positioned right.  In addition, I had a problem with WinJupos showing the graphical info for this specific date, so I checked Sky and Telescope, but they showed Ganymede’s shadow start crossing the disk at 23:02  and Io’s shadow leaving the disk at 23:06.  So I am confused.  Sorry for the everexposure of Jupiter, and not being able to calibrate this better because of the light conditions when I started.  Here the result of this ”early” event. 

Jim Soboleski called me to take a look at his SBIG camera. However, I wanted again take the opportunity to image Jupiter first.  Here Jupiter on the evening of November 8th.

Jupiter on November 7th.  The weater continues with bright skies and average/above average  seeing.  Tonight I ran three series with different gamma settings, one at 100, one at 70 and one at 60.  The last image out did the two others.  The Oval BA shows very pale.  Lots of activity in the NEB and NTC.  It won’t be long and Jupiter will have moved behind the tree line at my home, so any other images of this apparation will have to come from Charlie Elliott.