Captured on the 23rd June (local time), this animation represents 3 hours of rotation on Jupiter, as the Great Red Spot (quite a bit paler this year) transits across the face of the gas giant. Also visible, down lower on the NEB, is the new “NEB Upheaval” – a series of new spots and disturbances that are likely to change the look of the NEB for the remainder of the season.

Click the image to see the full 17-frame animation which covers 3 hours of rotation. It’s a 2.4mb gif file and will open in a new window.

Jupiter, GRS and NEB Upheaval Animation. Click to Play.

The Galilean Moon, Io, pops out from behind Jupiter in the last frame of the animation. The red colour is because it hadn’t yet made much of an appearance in the blue and green channels (which were captured before the red channel). Io really moves fast!

Below is one of the 17 frames of the animation as a still image, from near the middle of the session.

Jupiter, GRS and NEB Outbreak

Continue reading to see 2 other images and more information about the capture and processing.

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Hi all

Finally – the first clear night in weeks and my first imaging opportunity since May 25!

I’ve got loads of data to process, but I wanted to quickly process this one and get it out there because a) I won’t get much time to process many more images in the next day or two, and b) it’s an image showing the GRS and the new spots and NEB outbreak in high resolution, thanks (finally!) to some good seeing conditions.

Jupiter, GRS and NEB spots and outbreak

This is just the first of many from the session, so check back for more in the next few days.

Thanks for looking.

First clear morning in a week, finally able to image Jupiter again. I was hoping for nice seeing as fog was predicted and one of the coolest mornings so far leading into Winter.

The seeing was only average though, slightly better than it has been lately which is an encouraging sign. I caught the tail end of the GRS in the first image and the NEB outbreak rising in the 2nd image.

Jupiter

Jupiter with NEB outbreak

The data was captured at 30fps for 45 seconds in each channel. Approx 350 frames from each channel were stacked, and was processed in Registax, AstraImage and Photoshop.

More unsettled weather with a southerly change predicted for the next few days so not sure when the next opportunity to image will be. Just gotta keep trying!

Thanks for looking.

The run of terrible seeing continues along the East Coast of Australia, as these Jupiter images were captured last week in less than average seeing on the 16th and 17th of April, 2009.

The first image shows the GRS and the second image shows the NEB outbreak.

Jupiter and GRS

Jupiter and NEB Outbreak

Not too much else to report – getting frustrated by the run of horrible conditions. The skies last week were clear for 3-4 days in a row, Jupiter is now over 50° in altitude before sunrise, and yet the air has just been terribly unstable.

And then this week, rain all week so there’s been no chance to do any imaging.

I’ve had my 12″ scope sitting on table outside to take the mirror out and wash it, but I haven’t had a chance to do it. I need to do it tonight so it’s ready for the next clear morning!

I’ll keep trying, the good conditions will have to come soon!