Starship Asterisk*

goodfoodstove wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2023 1:01 pm This picture reminds me that I heard the great red spot is shrinking. I wonder if that would be visible when comparing an old picture (100 years ago?) with a recent picture.

Will our grandchildren turn their telescopes to Jove only to see a pale pink oval like so many others rolling around the planet's South Tropical Zone?

An inspired image prompted this sad train of thought. UK astrophotographer Damian Peach came up with an ideal way to depict how the GRS would look to us now if it we could see it as it was in 1890, 125 years ago. Those were the glory days for the "Eye of Jupiter" as Cassini was fond of calling it. With a diameter of 22,370 miles (36,000 km), the GRS spanned nearly three Earths wide. What a sight it must have been in nearly any telescope.

Peach compared measurements of the Spot in black and white photos taken at Lick Observatory in California in 1890-91 with a photo he took on April 13 this year. He then manipulated his April 13 data using the Lick photos and WINJUPOS (Jupiter feature measuring program) to carefully match the storm to its dimensions and appearance 125 years ago. Voila! Now we have a good idea of what we missed by being born too late.

javachip3 wrote: ↑Sat Nov 25, 2023 9:39 am These images are remarkably sharp and detailed. Image stacking and digital processing have revolutionized astrophotography. It also helps that these images were acquired through a 21" Newtonian reflector, with Jupiter at opposition. The 3D effect is impressive, but if an observer were close enough to Jupiter for it to appear this size to the naked eye -- a half million miles perhaps -- it would appear as a flat disk, like our full moon.

E Fish wrote: ↑Fri Nov 24, 2023 2:45 pm The two images are too far apart. I can't bring them together.

E Fish wrote: ↑Fri Nov 24, 2023 2:45 pm The two images are too far apart. I can't bring them together. :(