Jupiter at Opposition
December 17, 2012
Photographer: John Chumack
Summary Authors: John Chumack; Jim Foster
The photo above shows striated Jupiter near opposition as observed from my backyard in Dayton, Ohio, on the night of November 28, 2012. Once the clouds finally broke above my location, I was able to detect cloud top details on Jupiter with my 10 in (25 cm) Schmidt Cassegrain reflector telescope. Jupiter is mostly enshrouded by clouds, which are composed chiefly of ammonia and methane. At higher altitudes, ammonia crystals form cirrus-type clouds while further below the clouds are made up of liquid ammonia – Jupiter has no solid surface. Note that hydrogen and helium are the major constituents of Jupiter’s atmosphere. At lower left, the Red Spot (Jr.) is coming around Jupiter’s eastern limb.
Photo Details: 10 in Meade Schmidt Cassegrain telescope; DMK21; AF04 fire-wire video camera; 2x Barlow lens; Astronomik RGB; 2700 frames stacked in Registax 6.
[11/18]