APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Comments and questions about the APOD on the main view screen.
User avatar
APOD Robot
Otto Posterman
Posts: 5604
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 3:27 am

APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by APOD Robot » Fri Dec 14, 2018 5:10 am

[img]https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/S_181214.jpg[/img] Swimming on Jupiter

Explanation: On October 29, the Juno spacecraft once again dove near the turbulent Jovian cloud tops. Its 16th orbital closest approach or perijove passage, brought Juno within 3,500 kilometers of the Solar System's largest planetary atmosphere. These frames, recorded by JunoCam while the spacecraft cruised 20 - 50 thousand kilometers above the planet's middle southern latitudes, seem to follow a swirling cloud shaped remarkably like a dolphin. Swimming along Jupiter's darker South South Temperate Belt, this dolphin is itself planet-sized though, some thousands of kilometers across. Juno's next perijove passage will be December 21.

<< Previous APOD This Day in APOD Next APOD >>

Boomer12k
:---[===] *
Posts: 2691
Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2007 12:07 am

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by Boomer12k » Fri Dec 14, 2018 5:24 am

I was going to say Orca...but Dolphin works...

Astounding images...

:---[===] *

User avatar
Ann
4725 Å
Posts: 13867
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 5:33 am

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by Ann » Fri Dec 14, 2018 5:33 am

I'm quite sure I have commented on that dolphin on Jupiter before, although I remember that I called it a whale.

Could I have seen the picture in the Recent Submissions forum in a picture posted by bystander?

Ann
Color Commentator

Miguel Vale

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by Miguel Vale » Fri Dec 14, 2018 9:38 am

And what about the little dot that apears in the low left of the first two images! Doesn't seem a moon, and looks like one of our sattelites! Can anyone onform on this matter! Thanks. Merry Christmas to all

User avatar
Case
Commander
Posts: 618
Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2007 10:08 pm
Location: (52°N, 06°E)

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by Case » Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:18 pm

Click to play embedded YouTube video.
So long, and thanks for all the fish.

heehaw

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by heehaw » Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:57 pm

Are these true colors on Jupiter?

HellCat
Ensign
Posts: 73
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2009 1:30 am
Location: Cleveland, Ohio USA (Zulu -5)

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by HellCat » Fri Dec 14, 2018 1:38 pm

Perhaps it's a promotion for the latest blockbuster movie....

https://www.aquamanmovie.com/trailer2

puts skywriting to shame.

User avatar
Chris Peterson
Abominable Snowman
Posts: 18618
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Guffey, Colorado, USA

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by Chris Peterson » Fri Dec 14, 2018 2:42 pm

Ann wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 5:33 am I'm quite sure I have commented on that dolphin on Jupiter before, although I remember that I called it a whale.

Could I have seen the picture in the Recent Submissions forum in a picture posted by bystander?
You remember because it was a whopping three weeks ago: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=38914&p=287528&hilit=whale#p287520
Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
https://www.cloudbait.com

User avatar
Chris Peterson
Abominable Snowman
Posts: 18618
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:13 pm
Location: Guffey, Colorado, USA

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by Chris Peterson » Fri Dec 14, 2018 2:48 pm

heehaw wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 12:57 pm Are these true colors on Jupiter?
I don't know what "true colors" means, exactly, but this isn't quite what Jupiter looks like through a telescope, so if you mean does this look like what we'd see if we were riding on Juno, I'd say no. Too much blue, and a little too much contrast.

I might speculate that the camera's near-IR channel data is incorporated into this image along with the visible light layers.
Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
https://www.cloudbait.com

De58te
Commander
Posts: 584
Joined: Mon Sep 30, 2013 6:35 pm

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by De58te » Fri Dec 14, 2018 4:15 pm

By Jove! I have a sinking feeling that that photograph was taken on porpoise.

User avatar
Ann
4725 Å
Posts: 13867
Joined: Sat May 29, 2010 5:33 am

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by Ann » Fri Dec 14, 2018 5:18 pm

Chris Peterson wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 2:42 pm
Ann wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 5:33 am I'm quite sure I have commented on that dolphin on Jupiter before, although I remember that I called it a whale.

Could I have seen the picture in the Recent Submissions forum in a picture posted by bystander?
You remember because it was a whopping three weeks ago: viewtopic.php?f=9&t=38914&p=287528&hilit=whale#p287520
Thanks, Chris. I'm lousy at searching this site.

Ann
Color Commentator

Antony Rawlinson
Ensign
Posts: 33
Joined: Sat Feb 21, 2015 8:21 am

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by Antony Rawlinson » Fri Dec 14, 2018 11:50 pm

Hitchhiker's Guide was right! The dolphins really did leave the Earth before it was demolished by the Vogons!

Tszabeau

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by Tszabeau » Sat Dec 15, 2018 12:37 am

It appears they are doing the sidestroke.

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by neufer » Sat Dec 15, 2018 3:29 am

  • A POD of dolphins Swimming on Jupiter?
Art Neuendorffer

User avatar
alter-ego
Serendipitous Sleuthhound
Posts: 1123
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:51 am
Location: Redmond, WA

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by alter-ego » Sat Dec 15, 2018 3:36 am

Miguel Vale wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 9:38 am And what about the little dot that apears in the low left of the first two images! Doesn't seem a moon, and looks like one of our sattelites! Can anyone onform on this matter! Thanks. Merry Christmas to all
Well one of our satellites it is not. JPL HORIZONS reveals the two most likely Jovian moon candidates that emerge from Jupiter's limb during the 20-minute photo-shoot: Calisto (JIV) at mv ≈-3 and Amalthea (JV) at mv ≈-4. JVII and JVIII also emerge but their visual magnitudes are 8-plus. If any of the outer moons were visible, I'd expect to see a few stars as well.
Thanks, and have a great holiday season yourself.
A pessimist is nothing more than an experienced optimist

Camelot

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by Camelot » Sat Dec 15, 2018 3:51 am

Ok, where's the obvious key to manually page through the images. Getting quite seasick trying to see small details on a flickering picture.

User avatar
neufer
Vacationer at Tralfamadore
Posts: 18805
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:57 pm
Location: Alexandria, Virginia

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by neufer » Sat Dec 15, 2018 5:51 am

alter-ego wrote: Sat Dec 15, 2018 3:36 am
Miguel Vale wrote: Fri Dec 14, 2018 9:38 am
And what about the little dot that apears in the low left of the first two images! Doesn't seem a moon, and looks like one of our sattelites! Can anyone onform on this matter! Thanks. Merry Christmas to all
Well one of our satellites it is not. JPL HORIZONS reveals the two most likely Jovian moon candidates that emerge from Jupiter's limb during the 20-minute photo-shoot: Calisto (JIV) at mv ≈-3 and Amalthea (JV) at mv ≈-4. JVII and JVIII also emerge but their visual magnitudes are 8-plus. If any of the outer moons were visible, I'd expect to see a few stars as well.
Thanks, and have a great holiday season yourself.
Callisto was behind Juno(; i.e., towards the Sun).

Bright/resolved Io has a magnitude of around -10.5 here:
https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/news/io_rising

My guess is the dimmer/unresolved but still quite bright Amalthea.
Art Neuendorffer

User avatar
alter-ego
Serendipitous Sleuthhound
Posts: 1123
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:51 am
Location: Redmond, WA

Re: APOD: Swimming on Jupiter (2018 Dec 14)

Post by alter-ego » Sun Dec 16, 2018 5:58 am

neufer wrote: Sat Dec 15, 2018 5:51 am ...
Bright/resolved Io has a magnitude of around -10.5 here:
https://www.missionjuno.swri.edu/news/io_rising

My guess is the dimmer/unresolved but still quite bright Amalthea.
I realized there was something up when I saw your link claiming Io as the moon rising. Sure enough I found I misinterpreted a HORIZONS parameter I used to find the Jovian moon candidates. Using the right parameter (angular separation / visibility) it's clear the link is right. Io is the moon. Io just cleared the limb at about 21:24:30 UT on 10/29/18. The predicted separation from the limb at 21:26 UT = 3.3°, when Jupiter's apparent limb-to-limb diameter = 108°.

Considering the 10 brightest moons (J1→JX), it turns out there were two other moons that rose for Juno, but because of image timing, other field of views during the sequence, and/or too faint magnitudes, the moons weren't captured:
      Ganymede rose around 21:37:30 UT
      Himalia (JVI) rose around 21:30 UT
I'm glad you found that link. I didn't look hard at all as I was more interested in calculating the moon. I had high expectations for HORIZONS, and it came through in grand style.
A pessimist is nothing more than an experienced optimist