Monday, October 07, 2013

more shadow details

Chris suggested I make the triple shadow details a "Facebook" post. Curiously, the IT chair is not allowed to do that... And then I remarked, why not our web site? Ha. I can't do that either. So, I'll copy what I put on the private Yahoo!Group.

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Some more information for the Jupiter triple SHADOW transit. Including other events! It will be a busy night!

Note: Jupiter, viewed directly, without any atmospheric effects, is magnitude -1.8.

All dates and times are LOCAL, i.e. apply for the Toronto area.

11:00 PM Fri 11 Oct - Callisto's shadow appears (1st)
11:30 PM Fri 11 Oct - Europa's shadow appears (2nd)

11:45 PM Fri 11 Oct - Jupiter rises, in the NE, at 58° azimuth
11:50 PM Fri 11 Oct - Jupiter reaches magnitude 4
midnight Fri 11 Oct - Jupiter reaches magnitude 2
12:15 AM Sat 12 Oct - Jupiter is at 5° elevation or altitude
12:25 AM Sat 12 Oct - Jupiter reaches magnitude 0

12:30 AM Sat 12 Oct - Io's shadow appears (3rd)
12:45 AM Sat 12 Oct - Great Red Spot appears (on eastern edge)
12:50 AM Sat 12 Oct - Jupiter is at 10° elevation


01:10 AM Sat 12 Oct - Jupiter reaches magnitude -1
01:15 AM Sat 12 Oct - Jupiter is at 15° elevation
01:45 AM Sat 12 Oct - Io transits (in front) of Jupiter
01:50 AM Sat 12 Oct - Callisto's shadow disappears

02:00 AM Sat 12 Oct - Europa's shadow disappears
02:05 AM Sat 12 Oct - Europa transits (in front) of Jupiter
02:30 AM Sat 12 Oct - Great Red Spot at centre meridian
02:45 AM Sat 12 Oct - Io's shadow disappears

You can see that shadow transit events are IN PROGRESS as Jupiter rises over our eastern horizon. But the third shadow will appear after it is above our horizon. From 11:45 PM it is a 2 hour show.

For maximum visibility, you'll need an excellent sight line to the north-east.

I'll likely be at the CAO (I'm the supervisor this weekend). Our north-east horizon is blocked by a gentle hill. That said, we'll be able to see Jupiter as it rises over the tree line at 12:40 AM Saturday morning at about 8.5° elevation.

And... just to be perfectly clear: you need to be ready to observe/image this Friday evening.

P.S. Set your planetarium software to use a longitude of 203 for the Great Red Spot. The "rot_rotation_offset" for Stellarium should be 310.

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