Io emerging from eclipse

[gliderpilot]

I set my 4" refractor up on Tuesday evening for a Jupiter and lunar observing session. A quick glance at Jupiter showed a boiling disc and two moons some distance from the planet.

I switched to the moon and made a sketch while Jupiter climbed higher. When I switched back, there was a very faint moon about half a Jupiter diameter from the limb. Over the period of 10 minutes or so, itgot brighter and brighter as itmoved slowly away from the limb.

Wow! Just by chance I saw Io emerging from eclipse behind Jupiter - wonderful.

Clear skies

mark

[kniclander]

I love it when it happens like that:)

one question - eclipse or occultation?

[Talitha]

Fantastic, Mark! I just love pleasant surprises like that... it makes the Universe seem more alive, you know?

[gliderpilot]

It was an eclipse as Io was reappearing some distance from jupiter's limb and yes, Talitha, it was quite special.

Mark

[George Jones]

Wow! Nice catch!

It was an eclipse as Io was reappearing some distance from jupiter's limb and yes, Talitha, it was quite special.

According to Stellarium (with Simulate light speed checked) and

http://media.skyandtelescope.com/documents/JphenTab09.pdf

Io came out of Jupiter's shadow at about 19:40 GMT. In the brief time that I have had my scope, I have used this S&T table to catch twice the shadow of Io on Jupiter.