|
Io Eclipse reappearance
Io
Using an 8" SCT (95x), Io was glimpsed Io reappearing at 7.38pm adjacent to the South Equatorial Belt. The red spot was also visible in from the Jupiter's limb.
There was a small, but definite separation of Io from the disc of Jupiter when it reappeared. This separation will grow larger in future, as the planet moves away from Opposition.
Callisto, Ganymede and Europa were on the opposite side of Jupiter. It was a little strange to see them in reverse order from Jupiter: Callisto, Ganymede and Europa being furthermost.
I attempted an estimate of how far Callisto's orbital plane was north of Ganymede's. I thought about the same as the distance between the polar edges of the Equatorial Belts, or about 40% of the North-South diameter of Jupiter. I hope to test this by seeing Callistro pass Jupiter's South Pole by approximately this distance on the evening of 22nd May, at about 6pm. (Ganymede is only just inside Jupiter's disc at the pole when it passes, so Callistro should be approximately 35-40% of Jupiter's polar-diameter further out.)
Future events, which I will attempt to view:-
18/5 0.40 Ganymede occultation disappearance.
21/5 19.07 to 2134. Io occultation and eclipse reappearance.
22/5 18.00 Callisto passing by Jupiter's pole.
22/5 18.35-18.54 Io transit & shadow egress
|