GRS Predictions

Glenn Dawes · #1 30-01-2006, 07:56 PM

Hello all,

We (as in the yearbook guys, Ken Wallace, Peter Northfield and myself) have been thinking of adding a new page into Astronomy 2007 - a Great Red Spot Transit timetable. This would take into account the rise/set times of Jupiter and the Sun, showing favorable times from both the east and west coasts.

As a bit of a trial I have generated what the 2006 page would have looked like. I thought some of you might find it useful and give us an opportunity to try the idea out on fellow observers such as yourselves on the forum. I know the font may be a bit small on the table, but there is a lot of data to squeeze onto one page (and 2007 will have about 20 more events than 2006)

Kindest Regards

Glenn D.

Astroman (Andrew Wall) · #2 30-01-2006, 08:07 PM

Thats an excellent Idea Glenn,it would make a great addition to the YB. Just a query, where it says 1st GRS, 2nd GRS and 3rd GRS, what does this actually mean?

Glenn Dawes · #3 30-01-2006, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Astroman

Thats an excellent Idea Glenn,it would make a great addition to the YB. Just a query, where it says 1st GRS, 2nd GRS and 3rd GRS, what does this actually mean?

Hi Astroman,

Boy talk about a quick response! Did you notice the text at the bottom of the page? If you did and it is confusing let me know and I'll give some thought on revising it. Perhaps the heading of the columns could be better.

Glenn

Greg Bryant · #4 30-01-2006, 08:26 PM

Hi Glenn,

You knew I'd have to throw in a reply now (else I'd be doing it in September when you throw the proofs at me just weeks before you go to print).

It might be useful to also give, in the explanatory text, the adjustment needed in time for each degree of longitude change. That Great Red Spot sure does drift.

Cheers,

RAJAH235 · #5 30-01-2006, 09:00 PM

What a great chart. Thanks muchly, Glenn. Hope you don't mind me printing out 10 or so for our club members?

L.

Glenn Dawes · #6 30-01-2006, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RAJAH235

What a great chart. Thanks muchly, Glenn. Hope you don't mind me printing out 10 or so for our club members?

L.

RAJAH235,
Please feel free to make copies and I'm glad you like it.

Greg B.
Thanks, it's a good suggestion about the adjustment in time and I had thought of it (but was running out of space in the 1st draft I saw). In reality for 2007 the text will have to change anyway. This page is likely to follow the current p. 117 and the text on both pages will be merged / changed with it running over onto the 2nd page. I have to make room for those extra GRS events. Now people might understand when I sometimes refer to the book being put together with a shoe horn (well there's always 5 point font - only kidding).
You are certainly right about the longitude drifting. I have been a little surprised in the past how S&T (USA version) seemed to get stuck on a particular number for many months and seemed to often be out-of-date (they do everything else so well).

Glenn

[1ponders] (Paul) · #7 30-01-2006, 10:33 PM

Seeing as all my previous "Astronomy xxxx" books have automatically followed me outside when I do some observing (doesn't happen often but it does happen, (I love a good camera too much)) I see this as another good reason to leave the lappy inside and not pollute the night. Definately a must inclusion in the next issue.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #8 30-01-2006, 11:27 PM

Thanks for the chart Glenn, greatly appreciated.
Jeanette

Mick (Michael) · #9 30-01-2006, 11:50 PM

Hi Glenn, easy to look up chart for the GRS top idea. The colour in the 2006 edition looks good as well. Maybe you could put a little colour back in the GRS for us.

Astroman (Andrew Wall) · #10 31-01-2006, 05:50 PM

Oh DAMN don't I feel like a complete waste of Oxygen. Sorry Glenn, didn't go down that far on the page, NOW i see what it means.

Now I have read and looked I can see perfectly what it means, I dont think much change is needed at all, pretty easy to understand that the GRS can pass up to three times a day, since Jupiter rotation is what about 9 or 10 hrs

.

Thanks for the light Glenn.

rumples riot · #11 31-01-2006, 06:11 PM

Hi Glenn, you mention that the chart would cover east and west coasts, but will it cover Australian central time? I have jupiter 2 which predicts these events but notice that it is frequently a little out. A chart would be quite good to confirm the programs predictions.

Glenn Dawes · #12 03-02-2006, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rumples riot

Hi Glenn, you mention that the chart would cover east and west coasts, but will it cover Australian central time? I have jupiter 2 which predicts these events but notice that it is frequently a little out. A chart would be quite good to confirm the programs predictions.

Hi Paul,

Sorry to take a while to reply, I didn't notice your post until this morning.
Unfortunately, like the rest of our yearbook, we just don't have the room for a 3rd time zone, ie. CST. As you will notice from the table I attached on the original post we are already having to go to a small font to cope with the east and west zones. However, I would like to make the following generalisations:

1) to get your time just subtract 30 mins from EST (I know I am stating the obvious - forgive me)

2) Adelaide has a similar latitude to Sydney so the local rise / set times for the Sun and Jup (which is not shown on this table but used to filter the data) will be close.

3) If the event is visible from east and west (ie with the *) it would be visible from SA.

Regards

Glenn D

iceman (Mike) · #13 03-02-2006, 07:02 PM

Looks like a great table, Glenn.. and much easier to follow than the current set of figures.

It's unfortunate the page is not big enough to fit the moon transits, occultations and shadow transits.

bird (Anthony Wesley) · #14 03-02-2006, 07:06 PM

This is an excellent resource - I've saved & printed a copy of this page and it's going into my book...

Bird

Greg Bryant · #15 03-02-2006, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceman

Looks like a great table, Glenn.. and much easier to follow than the current set of figures.

It's unfortunate the page is not big enough to fit the moon transits, occultations and shadow transits.

Mike,

My guess is that the Galilean satellite phenomena (transits, occultations, shadows) would go on other pages very close to this one if it gets implemented in 2007. Look at the amount of room the satellite data takes in the current 2006 book.

That gives you a compact (?!) ~10 pages of devoted Jovian data.