Jupiter and Great Red Spot - 27 June 2010

[DarkerSky]

First time out with my 16" LB on Jupiter. Was an awesome sight this morning (27 June) in the dawn twilight. Seeing was a good II. Some real sharp and steady stuff coming through for about an hour between 3am and 4am.

16" x295 magnification

No Filters

South at top

The NEB was again the most prominent feature on the disc this morning. It yielded a superb amount of detail. Immediately obvious was the dark protrusion working up southwards from the NEB right on the central meridian, along with the white spot in the northern component of the NEB just a little to the west (right) side of the CM.

The white spot seemed to be accompanied by an arch of darker material that flowed over the top if ot in the NEB, giving rise to a second protrusion into the Equatorial Zone (EZ). A darker patch was also seen in the northern component of the NEB immediately to the east (left), with a tongue of lighter coloured material lapping down around the edge of the white spot. Further along to the left another dark area was seen in the northern component of the NEB.

Closer inspection of the NEB towards the end of the obsy session revealed a clear division in the NEB near the following (right hand side) limb.

The northern component of the SEB was again faintly visible across the disk's face. It seemed broader than the last time I saw it about 3 weeks ago with my 12" scope. There were soem faint strands from the SEB that worked there way into the EZ. The EZ itself was quite dull compared to last time I saw it.

In the second half of my observing hour the Great Red Spot rotated into view. It appeared quite dark, second only in intensity to the NEB. I noticed a blister of yellowish-white light around the the spot, cushioning it from the murky material occupying the place where the southern component of the SEB should be.

Quite noticeable also was a curved feature of darker material in the SEB that lay beneath the GRS and slightly to its left. Remided me of a socket for a ball joint!

The South South Temperate Belt (SSTB) was evident and quite broad in appearence. It seemed to drop wispy material down northwards into the South Tropical Zone (STZ), more noticeably in the direction of the GRS, but laso apparent with averted vision across about half the disk's width.

The South South Temperate Zone (SSTZ) was clearly made out. My very first time observing this zone, sandwiched between the shaded areas of the SSTB and the South Polar Region.

In the North the North Polar Region was extensive and generally featureless. The North Temperate Belt (NTB) and North Tropical Zone (NTropZ) though were clearly made out right across the disk immediately to the north of the NEB.

[chrisrnuttall]

beatiful description and plenty of detail but what i want to know is: did you stay up, or get up?!

[dweller25]

Very nice DS, the 16" strutting it's stuff there.

[DarkerSky]

beatiful description and plenty of detail but what i want to know is: did you stay up, or get up?!

I stayed up Chris

I love the experience - setting the scope up in the late evening twilight. Did some double stars in the few hours of moonlit darkness and watched the dawn break from the north east by about 2.30am.

Once I had packed up at just after 4am I sat outside in the morning quiet with a cuppa. Lovely !

[chrisrnuttall]

I don't know if i could do that now, i am just too knackered trying to fit everything in to the day time with kids and job! If i had my davy crocket hat on I'd doff it to you!