Jupiter's GRS and a nice barge on show now.

[Moonshane]

just watching with my 16" f4 dob (masked to 170mm f11 unobstructed natch) and a 13mm Ethos....loverly. scope's not even cold yet (been out 30 mins max) and the views are mint at about 140x

[Adrian]

I saw the barge earlier, in between clouds and when Jupiter stopped wobbling like a giant jelly

Given up now, though - I was just testing my new power setup really. The seeing was barely up to 150x tonight

[Moonshane]

not too bad here although to be honest the seeing's not much good above 150x. that said, I can see lots of detail. numerous bands, GRS and the brown 'eyelids' around it, just hoping for a bit more as always.....

[John]

Thanks for the "heads up" Shane. Despite high, thin, cloud Jupiter is looking rather nice here. There seems to be a festoon coming off the S edge of the NEB just ahead of the GRS and extending around halfway across the Eq zone - are you picking that up too ?.

[Moonshane]

hi John

good spot! yes, I can see a definite greyish limb into the eq zone, nice. also starting to pick up a big pale patch trailing the GRS. once the scope is properly cool and the planet a little higher should be superb.

[John]

Yep - there is a long pale rift in the SEB ahead of the GRS and a pale area following it across the disk. I maybe mistaken but the GRS appears to be "catching up" the dark barge in the NEB. I know that different latitudes on Jupiter rotate at different speeds so that might explain it.

[starlady]

Jupiter is a bit wobbly here in Wiltshire but I have managed to see the grs in the more stable moments over the last hour, dew is a bit of a problem here too. The barge stands out well.

I am just thankful for a couple of hours of clear skies for once!

[Bart]

Excuse my ignorence, but whats a barge?

Bart

[nightfisher]

i have just been viewing jupiter in the tal 100 and i thought i could see something odd on the neb, south side, conditions very erratic only got x85 mag, but nice to grab a quick look

[John]

Excuse my ignorence, but whats a barge?

Bart

A sort of elongated darker area. Sometimes embedded in bands, sometimes seen in the lighter zones. The one on view at the moment is on the N side of the NEB and nearing the Western limb of the planet (hope I've got my directions right !).

[John]

Just to continue the narrative .......

The GRS seems to have just passed the central meridian now and another barge seems to be appearing on the eastern limb, on the N side of the NEB.

Thats what I love about Jupiter - always something going on !.

Sorry Shane ...... back to you mate

[Bart]

A sort of elongated darker area. Sometimes embedded in bands, sometimes seen in the lighter zones. The one on view at the moment is on the N side of the NEB and nearing the Western limb of the planet (hope I've got my directions right !).

Thanks John,

When you say elongated, do you mean on the horizontal or vertical relative to the Eq Bands?

Bart

[John]

Thanks John,

When you say elongated, do you mean on the horizontal or vertical relative to the Eq Bands?

Bart

Horizontal.

[M4lcs67]

Today has been my first real experience of poor seeing. I certainly know what it is now while looking at Jupiter this evening. Just like a heat-haze on a hot day. Was wanting to get a look at the big red spot and my scope was pretty sharp on the 25mm ep, but if I tried to add the barlow or go for the 9mm the glare off the disc was nearly blinding. Does anyone recommend a suitable filter that reduces glare?????

[Moonshane]

Just to continue the narrative .......

The GRS seems to have just passed the central meridian now and another barge seems to be appearing on the eastern limb, on the N side of the NEB.

Thats what I love about Jupiter - always something going on !.

Sorry Shane ...... back to you mate

ha ha

it's an online forum matey - anyone can join in (and should!).

I see the other barge but the seeing's gone mush here. I think it may be a chimney. will try again in a little while.

I am using a Baader Neodymium filter and it really helps to tease out detail. There's a lightly blue shift in colour but this is 'ignorable' after a minute or two.

Incidentally for a laugh I tried my UHC filter and this certainly enhanced the contrast but made the disk 'slightly' green.

[MjrTom]

The GRS is just going out of view.

The seeing is not great here at all but occasionally can push 140x

[Hypernova]

I have only been out for 15 minutes or so before advancing cloud scuppered my viewing session, anyway it was nice to be doing some observing after weeks off, no matter how short. The "barge" in the NEB was showing quite prominently but poor seeing here prevented me from determining its location within the belt, also I could not make out the GRS clearly, just sort of a pale zone towards the SW limb.

[MjrTom]

Those beady looking eyes are back!

Or should I say, those two prominent barges in the NEB equidistant from the limb.

[Peter Drew]

Glad to learn that I wasn't alone in enjoying a good view of Jupiter. I observed from around 8.30 untill 10.30 when increasing cloud stopped play. Scope was my 16" SCT, best views were eventually in the 200x to 300x range with occasional 400x for a larger if not better image. Two barges were seen at the early part of the session followed by the GRS which I noted was rather pale considering the aperture. By contrast, the polar regions were so bright that fine detail was swamped, I must try a polarising unit in the near future. I copy the other details mentioned by others and had planned to video the scene with a mini DV camcorder but was thwarted by misplacing a cable, I nearly resorted to attempting a drawing!