Jupiter: current image this morning

fumei · #1 08-01-2021, 08:50 AM

Here is a link to this guy in Texas who takes beautiful planet shots. This was taken a few hours ago. What is remarkable is that in the fuller image you can actually see some detail on Ganymede.

Ganymede is the object on the left, on the disk. The dark spot on the right is the shadow of Ganymede. Europa is the spot of light left of the disk.

The quality of "amateur" imaging astounds this old guy. This was simply not possible in the old days. Wow.https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/7...de-2021-08-01/

Glennwillow · #2 08-01-2021, 09:20 AM

That is very cool! A stunningly beautiful image!

- Glenn

Kerbie · #3 08-01-2021, 11:01 AM

Beautiful! Jupiter reaches opposition on August 19th, so the pictures will probably get better and better for a few more weeks. Right now, it rises around 9:15 pm EDT and sets a little after 8 am EDT.

Saturn is at opposition today and tomorrow. It's still easily visible just west of Jupiter, rising and setting about an hour earlier.

Gitfiddlemann · #4 08-01-2021, 11:14 AM

Outstanding photo, and thanks for pointing out the additional details on the moons. And he managed to get the big red spot in the picture too.
Looking at his other photos in the series reminds me how remarkable Jupiter is as a visual sight, with all its colors and swirls.
All these astronomy pics are wondrous to look at.

Dru Edwards · #5 08-01-2021, 12:56 PM

What a great pic. Jupiter and Saturn must be a couple of the most beautiful planets in our solar system ... along with Earth of course.

jseth · #6 08-01-2021, 04:23 PM

Some amazing photos being shot by "amateur" astrophotographers! We even have one in our own membership on the AGF, robj144!

There is a professional golfer, Jimmy Walker, who is also from Texas and has his own site for astrophotography, darkskywalker? Something like that... he does wonderful work.

Last time I spoke with James Goodall, he had been taken by astrophotography, as well! He's on the North California coast in Fort Bragg, and I imagine there isn't nearly enough clear weather evenings for his liking...

fumei · #7 08-02-2021, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AndreF

Outstanding photo, and thanks for pointing out the additional details on the moons. And he managed to get the big red spot in the picture too.
Looking at his other photos in the series reminds me how remarkable Jupiter is as a visual sight, with all its colors and swirls.
All these astronomy pics are wondrous to look at.

That was the main reason for posting it. It is remarkable how much detail - of the moon! - is visible. I have been observing Jupiter since 1961 (when I first joined the Royal Astronomical Society), and to see a disk of a Jovian moon was at the top of the class. Jovians, while easily visible, remain just point-source. So having enough resolution to see clearly a disk (not a point) was rare. But to see DETAIL? Nah, did not happen at amateur level. And this guy casually posts this image. Remarkable. Different world. The technology available for the serious hobbyist is so much better.

Just wow.

fumei · #8 08-02-2021, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jseth

Some amazing photos being shot by "amateur" astrophotographers! We even have one in our own membership on the AGF, robj144!

There is a professional golfer, Jimmy Walker, who is also from Texas and has his own site for astrophotography, darkskywalker? Something like that... he does wonderful work.

Last time I spoke with James Goodall, he had been taken by astrophotography, as well! He's on the North California coast in Fort Bragg, and I imagine there isn't nearly enough clear weather evenings for his liking...

Chuckle. Yeah, that is for sure. I have friends in the area and have done observing from the campground of Union Landing, just north about 20 miles from Fort Bragg. Yup, dark but rather...moist air. It took a few days to realize the funny feel to the metal bits of the telescope was salt. From the air. NOT good for optics!

A shot waiting for it to get fully dark, from Union Landing. That fog bank sits off the coast pretty much year round. It wanders in to sit on the coast a LOT. It is what allows the redwoods to live. So I can't complain. But it not so good for telescopes.

fumei · #9 08-02-2021, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kerbie

Beautiful! Jupiter reaches opposition on August 19th, so the pictures will probably get better and better for a few more weeks. Right now, it rises around 9:15 pm EDT and sets a little after 8 am EDT.

Saturn is at opposition today and tomorrow. It's still easily visible just west of Jupiter, rising and setting about an hour earlier.

A real handy link is to the same site but the ephemeris for the moons of Jupiter. It is handy because you can see the moons with just about ANY optical aid (easily seen in binos), so being able to identify which moon is which, is important for me. But then I am generally nerdy like that.

Jovian Moon Locator

robj144 · #10 08-02-2021, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fumei

Chuckle. Yeah, that is for sure. I have friends in the area and have done observing from the campground of Union Landing, just north about 20 miles from Fort Bragg. Yup, dark but rather...moist air. It took a few days to realize the funny feel to the metal bits of the telescope was salt. From the air. NOT good for optics!

A shot waiting for it to get fully dark, from Union Landing. That fog bank sits off the coast pretty much year round. It wanders in to sit on the coast a LOT. It is what allows the redwoods to live. So I can't complain. But it not so good for telescopes.

Cool shot though.

Yeah, and that picture of Jupiter is nice. I sometimes wish I had a larger than 6" aperture on my reflector. I need to take that out this week and maybe get a few planet shots though. I haven't done that in a few months since I started doing DSOs.