241010 Jupiter at Opposition,
with Moon Europa in Eclipse
with Moon Europa in Eclipse
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Image courtesy of Mr. Greg Terrance, New York State, USA
click image to enlarge |
ASTRO:
type=Planetary; Saturn mag= 1.17 const=(varies) distance=805 M mi size=72,000 mi (dia.) IMAGE: exposure=CMOS OSC: 52x20ms, G100 EQUIPMENT: camera=ZWO ASI585MC-Pro optics=ASA 500, FL=2800mm (prime), f/10.0 filter=(none) mount=AP 1600 guider=(none) SOFTWARE: acquisition=FireCapture processing=Registax, PhotoshopCC, LrC |
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Big and beautiful, Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in our Solar System. It is a 'gas giant' planet, comprised mostly of gaseous elements and compounds. If it was a hollow shell, 1,000 Earths could fit inside. Jupiter is also the oldest planet, forming from the dust and gases left over from the Sun's formation 4.5 billion years ago. Of all the planets in our solar system, Jupiter has the shortest day. One day on Jupiter takes only about 10½ hours (the time it takes for Jupiter to rotate or spin around once), and it makes a complete orbit around the Sun in about 12 Earth years. Its equator is tilted with respect to its orbital path around the Sun by just 3 degrees; so, Jupiter spins nearly upright and does not have seasons as extreme as other planets do.
With 95 moons that are officially recognized by the IAU (the International Astronomical Union), Jupiter forms a kind of miniature solar system. The four largest moons – Io (EYE-oh), Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto – were first observed by Italian Astronomer Galileo Galilei in 1610 using an early version of the telescope. These 4 moons are known today as the Galilean satellites, and they're some of the most fascinating objects in our solar system, and the most frequently viewed by amateur astronomers. Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system (even bigger than the planet Mercury). Callisto’s very few small craters indicate a small degree of current surface activity. A liquid-water ocean with the ingredients for life may lie beneath the frozen crust of Europa, the target of NASA's Europa Clipper mission slated to launch in 2024.
Discovered in 1979 by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, Jupiter's rings were a surprise. The rings are composed of small, dark particles, and they are difficult to see except when backlit by the Sun, which is why we cannot see them from Earth. Data from the Galileo spacecraft indicate that Jupiter's ring system may be formed by dust kicked up as interplanetary meteoroids smash into the planet's small innermost moons.
Jupiter took shape along with rest of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. Gravity pulled swirling gas and dust together to form this gas giant. Jupiter took-in most of the mass left over after the formation of the Sun, ending up with more than twice the material of all the other bodies in the solar system, combined. In fact, Jupiter has all the same ingredients and characteristics of a star, but it did not grow massive enough to ignite. About 4 billion years ago, Jupiter settled into its current position as the 5th planet.
This image is included here courtesy of Mr. Greg Terrance, an amateur astrophotographer out of New York State, USA. Greg has developed a particularly effective methodology and technique for capturing outstanding images of the planets from here on Earth. One of Jupiter's moons, Europa is visible to the left, and is casting its shadow on the mother planet as it eclipses the Sun (passes between the Sun and Jupiter).
With 95 moons that are officially recognized by the IAU (the International Astronomical Union), Jupiter forms a kind of miniature solar system. The four largest moons – Io (EYE-oh), Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto – were first observed by Italian Astronomer Galileo Galilei in 1610 using an early version of the telescope. These 4 moons are known today as the Galilean satellites, and they're some of the most fascinating objects in our solar system, and the most frequently viewed by amateur astronomers. Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system (even bigger than the planet Mercury). Callisto’s very few small craters indicate a small degree of current surface activity. A liquid-water ocean with the ingredients for life may lie beneath the frozen crust of Europa, the target of NASA's Europa Clipper mission slated to launch in 2024.
Discovered in 1979 by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, Jupiter's rings were a surprise. The rings are composed of small, dark particles, and they are difficult to see except when backlit by the Sun, which is why we cannot see them from Earth. Data from the Galileo spacecraft indicate that Jupiter's ring system may be formed by dust kicked up as interplanetary meteoroids smash into the planet's small innermost moons.
Jupiter took shape along with rest of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. Gravity pulled swirling gas and dust together to form this gas giant. Jupiter took-in most of the mass left over after the formation of the Sun, ending up with more than twice the material of all the other bodies in the solar system, combined. In fact, Jupiter has all the same ingredients and characteristics of a star, but it did not grow massive enough to ignite. About 4 billion years ago, Jupiter settled into its current position as the 5th planet.
This image is included here courtesy of Mr. Greg Terrance, an amateur astrophotographer out of New York State, USA. Greg has developed a particularly effective methodology and technique for capturing outstanding images of the planets from here on Earth. One of Jupiter's moons, Europa is visible to the left, and is casting its shadow on the mother planet as it eclipses the Sun (passes between the Sun and Jupiter).