Posts Made By: Carlos E. Hernandez

Angel,

To call these images of Jupiter spectacular is an understatement! You have captured an incredibe amount of detail over the disk. It is difficult to describe all that has been captured. Your 8" TEC Mak-cass is excellent as you point out. I am very happy with my own 9" Mak-Cass. I look forward to your future images.

Carlos

Sol,

Congratulations on a beautiful rendering of Jupiter. You have captured much detail across the disk. The South Temperate Belt (STB) does appear to be uneven ("sloped") at certain longitudes. This may be due to, as you point out, the presence of ovals displacing the belt (actually the presence of alternating Jovian atmospheric currents (jet streams) interacting around ovals at this latitude). The SEB "southward pointing festoon-like feature" is actually a bright rift between alternating currents. You have perfectly captured what is known as a "loop festoon" along the southern edge of the NEB following the CM. You have also recorded a bright bay preceding the CM on the northern edge of the NEB straddled by dark barges.

Please keep up the excellent work. I look forward to your future observations.

Carlos

Richard,

An excellent first sketch of Jupiter! You have recorded many features over the Jovian disk. I am assuming that the large oval feature towards the top right of the drawing is the Great Red Spot (GRS). You have noted detail within both the North and South Equatorial Belts (NEB and SEB). It appears that you have also recorded "ovals" over the North Polar Region (NPR). PLease keep up the excellent work.

Carlos

Thank you all for the wonderful comments on my Jupiter observation. I was fortunate to experience good seeing conditions.

Alan: Your observation of Jupiter is excellent as it shows the major belts and a loop festoon. Please keep up the excellent work.

Regards,
Carlos

Ed,

Thank you for your observation notes on Jupiter and Saturn. I am glad that you experienced a good night of seeing.

Which eyepieces were you using for your observation?

The best of luck in your future observations.

Carlos

Yu Gu,

An excellent image of Jupiter showing much detail. The NEB and SEB show many fine features. Io also appears to show some detail. Please keep up the excellent work.

Carlos

Sol,

A beautiful observation of Jupiter. You have captured significant detail across the NEB and SEB. Please keep up the outstanding work.

Carlos

I made an observation of Jupiter on March 6, 2003 (05:00 U.T.) under average to good seeing conditions (6-7/10). I was able to note much detail across the Jovian disk. I noted STB ovals, a dark irregular southern border of the SEB, an active EZ with festoons/bands/ovals, dark barges and bright ovals along the northern border of the NEB and southern border of the NTrZ, and a NTB segment (section). Any comments on this observation are welcome.

Date (U.T.): March 6, 2003
Time (U.T.): 05:00
L1 121.9, L2 249.8, L3 079.3
Instrument: 9-inch (23-cm) F/13.5 Maksutov-Cassegrain
Magnification: 282x and 352x
Filters: 23A and 38A
Seeing (1-10): 6-7, Antoniadi (I-V): III-II
Transparency (1-6): 5

Transit Observations:
04:27 U.T., L1 229.9, L3 060.0, DC Sect. (center of NTB section)
04:38 U.T., L2 236.5, L3 066.6, DC Barge (NEB-N)
05:10 U.T., L2 255.8, L3 090.0, WC Bay (NEB-N or NTrZ-S)

Notes:
South Polar Region (SPR): Appears dull (5/10) without any other detail noted within.
SSS Temperate Zone (S3TZ): Appears thin and bright (7/10).
SSS Temperate Belt (S3TB): Appears thin and dusky (4/10).
SS Temperate Zone (S2TZ): Appears thin and bright (7/10).
SS Temperate Belt (S2TB): Appears thin and dusky (4/10).
South Temperate Zone (STZ): Appears thin and bright (7/10).
South Temperate Belt (STB): Appears dusky to dull (4-5/10) containing two large very bright (8/10) ovals (the preceding oval appearing to extend into the South Tropical Zone (STrZ)).
South Tropical Zone (STrZ): Appears bright (7/10) without any other detail visible within.
South Equatorial Belt (SEB): Appears dark (3/10) with an irregular southern border composed of very dark (2/10) condensations.
Equatorial Zone (EZ): Appears bright (7/10) containing festoon projections/bands and very bright (8/10) ovals.
North Equatorial Belt (NEB): Appears dark (3/10) with very dark (2/10) barges and very bright (8/10) bays along it's northern border and very dark (2/10) festoons along the southern border.
North Tropical Zone (NTrZ): Appears shaded to bright (6-7/10) containing very bright (8/10) ovals.
North Temperate Belt (NTB): A dark (3/10) section is visible preceding the CM whereas the rest of the belt is dull to shaded (5-6/10).
North Temperate Zone (NTZ): Appears shaded (6/10) without any other detail visible within.
North Polar Region (NPR): Appears dull to dusky (5-6/10) with diffuse, dark (3/10) condensations visible within.

The best of luck in your own observations and imaging.

Carlos E. Hernandez

Tan,

A beautiful image of the craters Eudoxus and Aristoteles. The image appears to have been taken by one of the Apollo spacecraft. Please keep up the excellent work.

Carlos

Sol,

A beautiful observation of Jupiter showing much detail. I too have noted the large bright bay over the northern border of the NEB. The rest of the planet shows much detail. Please keep up the excellent work.

Carlos