Jupiter 18-12-2010

[chrisrnuttall]

Hello

Here is Jupiter from this evening.

The seeing was good with extended periods of sharp viewing (twice in a row!)

Temperature only -5°C tonight, after the last few weeks I now laugh in the face of such balmy conditions and I didn't even bother wearing gloves! HA!

No wind, observing through thin clouds,

I looked up and was floored by the huge bright 22° halo around the moon, it was astonishing, and lasted the whole time i was out, simply beautiful. I photographed it but my camera did a frankly rubbish job so i am not posting that.

Anyway....

The SEB revival is now stretching right around Jupiter, and i caught the section between the GRS and the original outbreak at 300° in system II. Shown here it runs along the boundary of the SEB and the EZ for about 100° then rises up in a chaotic wedge shape before running back around the other side of the planet along the southern edge of the SEB (not shown).

The fine dark grey/brown line was darker at around the central meridian, and darkened again over to the RHS. I could detect festoons heading south from this line.

The wedge shape on the RHS was indeed chaotic with many swirls of material interacting.

The NEB was also quite active with two dark ovals, one white one, a white rift and a few dark festoons projecting into the EZ.

I'm off to have a warming medicinal drink now, ta ta.

CM1 220°

CM2 243°

ALT 29°

19:35 - 20:00 GMT

[dweller25]

Chris, brilliant observation and drawing.

[callisto]

Very nice sketch Chris, Exellent

[DarkerSky]

That's a super sketch Chris and an awesome description of the SEB - the way it transitions across to the southern edge in that chaotic wedge. I have not observed Jupiter enough recently to get a full appreciation of the SEB revival, but what you've said captures it brilliantly for me.