Observation Data
Location: Atlanta, GA (33.7384° N, 84.4234° W)
Date and Time: 2024-12-07, 19:45 – 21:40 EDT
Sky conditions: Seeing – average, Transparency – average
Instrument: Celestron C8 SCT @f/10 (native), Aperture 203.3mm, Focal length: 2023
Mount: Advanced VX
Eyepiece: N/A (Imaging)
Reticle Device: N/A
Imaging Equipment: 2x Barlow, ADC, UV/IR Cut filter, ASI224MC
Image type and sensor: ZWO ASI 224MC – CMOS, IMX224 1/3″ sensor
Image capture details: 46 60s AVI capture, Start capture: 20:04:15 EDT, End capture: 21:40:57 EDT, Exposure: 4.415ms, Gain: 430, best 20% stacked of 3840 frames each
Software: ASICap, ASIVideoStack, PixInsight, Photoshop
Project Objectives
Jupiter is by far the easiest planet to observe. Its giant disk offers the most detail to the amateur observer. Even at its smallest it is 30 arc-seconds in diameter, and at opposition it can be almost 50 arc-seconds, twice the size of Mars even though Jupiter is ten times further away from us! You are to time the rotation of the Red Spot across the center of the disk of the planet Jupiter. In the “Calendar Notes” column in Sky and Telescope magazine the dates and times are given when this famous feature on Jupiter is due to cross the Central Meridian of the planet. The Central Meridian (CM) is a line drawn from the planet’s north pole to its south pole dividing the great globe into two equal eastern and western sections. This project will require three timings. The first is the time at which the leading edge of the spot crosses the CM. The second is the time at which the spot appears centered exactly on the CM. The third is the time at which the trailing edge of the spot reached the CM. Use the S&T column to guide your observing sessions. If you can only make one timing, make it number two, the central transit time. Access to a WWV time signal is preferable but if this is impossible, the observation is still acceptable. State if WWV or another standard time source was used in making your report. Do not forget to convert to Universal Time. During the past few years the Great Red Spot has been very pale and should perhaps be known as the Great Pale Salmon Colored Spot!
