JUPITER 2013/2014 SEASON

By Christopher Go

This year turned out to be an exciting year.  I had a late start because of the monsoon.  During late November, I discovered my second red spot, when the White Oval  Z on the NEBn turned red!

All images were taken using a Celestron  C14  mounted on an AP900GTO mount.  A ZW Optical ASI120MM camera and a Skyris 132M camera are used.  RGB is done using a set of Chroma Technology LRGB filters on a Homeyer Motorized filter wheel.  Methane band images are done using a Custom Scientific Methane Band filter (889nm  18nm bandpass) provided to me by the University of California at Berkeley.  UV images are done using a Astrodon UV filter.   Amplification is done using an Astrophysics Convertible Barlow working at 2.5X.

Image acquisition was done using  Torsten Edelmann's Firecapture 2.3 software.  All images are NORTH UP!   The ASI120MM is controlled by a Thinkpad T520 through the USB port.  Processing was done using AutoStakkert and Registax.

These images were taken at Banilad,  Cebu City, Philippines. 

For more information on the names of various belts and zones of Jupiter and the meaning of the abbreviations I use please check the Sky and Telescope Jupiter Observing Guide.

All images of this site are my property.  If you wish to publish it on your site or print, please email me for permission.

HOME

My new C14!

My old images can be viewed at:

2007 Images   2008 Images   2011 Images	ALPO Archives
2009 Images   2010 Images   2012 Images	ALPO Japan Jupiter Section
	Jupiter with my C8
AUG-DEC 2013
JAN-FEB 2014

It has been rainy the past few days.  Imaging Jupiter is now a challenge.  Jupiter is now below 30 deg.  Seeing was terrible with poor transparency.

The GRS and Oval BA can be seen in these images.  There is a hint of the wake of the GRS.  Note the bright outbreak on the SEB following the GRS.  The NEB looks quiet.

Jupiter is very low now around 35deg or less!  Imaging is very tough.  Seeing this evening was variable but there were periods of good seeing.

Oval BA is getting close to the GRS.  Unfortunately, I doubt if I will be able to see it.  I only have a few days of Jupiter imaging left as the sun sets later while Jupiter moves towards the sun.  Oval BA has a pale orange color while the color of the GRS is very strong.    Note the white oval following Oval BA.  The wake of the GRS is very complex.

The NEB looks very quiet in this region.  The north temperate area looks pale. 

Seeing was great this evening.   Jupiter is now less than 40 deg above the horizon!

Red Spot Z can be seen close to the CM.  It still has a pale orange color.  The NNTZ LRS is directly north of the RSZ and has a reddish color.   The NEB is very busy.  There are a lot of rift and outbreaks.   

The SEB looks very complex.  The STB Ghost is rising on these images.   This feature is dark in methane band.

Seeing was  average today but transparency was poor.  I was only able to image a set before the sky became overcast.

The SEB bright spot is well resolved.   This feature seem to have a complex wake.  The GRS is rising on this image.  The NEB is active in this region with a lot of rift activity.  Note the bright area on the EZ between two festoons just after the CM.  The SEB ghost is setting on this image.

Condition was terrible today.  Seeing was average but transparency was awful because of clouds.

The GRS is almost circular from it's normal elliptical shape.  IT has a strong orange color.   The wake of the GRS on the SEB looks very complex.  Also the halo of the GRS seems to be widening!  Note the dark spot on the S3TB south of the GRS. 

The NEB looks quiet in this region.

Imaging was tough this evening.   Seeing was very variable because Jupiter is just above the hot roof of our house!

Here's an interesting image!  Europa is above Ganymede's shadow!   Ganymede is well resolved with albedo features.

Oval BA is getting closer to the GRS.  I don't think we will see this year's conjunction of both spots as this might happen when Jupiter is close to the sun.  The color of Oval BA is pale orange.  There is a hint of the white core.   Note the dark spots around BA.  The GRS is setting in this image.  It has a strong orange color.  The wake of the GRS is very complex.  The color of the SEB is very dark red.  There are two dark barges just south of the GRS on the STZ.

Note the outbreak in the NEB.

Condition was very poor today.  Seeing was okay but transparency was very poor because of clouds.   My Jupiter season is almost over.  I now have only a 15 minute from twilight to the time Jupiter reaches my roof.

Red Spot Z can be seen past the CM.  The NEB is very chaotic.  The EZ Festoons are interacting with it.   The NEB has a very dark red color and it is also narrowing.  The SEB bright spot can be seen rising on the left.  The STB Ghost is at the CM.

Condition was  bad this evening.   Transparency was poor and seeing was unstable.

There is a bright outbreak at the NEB.  The SEB looks complex.   The SSTB cyclonic and anticyclonic ovals look interesting.

Condition was perfect this evening.  Jupiter is now less than 50deg above the horizon! 

The NNTZ LRS  seems to be surrounded by small white ovals.   The Red Spot Z still has the orange color.  Both of these spots are bright in Methane Band.   Io's shadow is leaving the Jovian disk.  The NEB is very narrow close to the CM!   The SEB looks very complex.  The STB ghost can be seen rising on the left.

Seeing was excellent this evening.   Jupiter is dropping lower in the sky as it heads for solar conjunction. 

The Light Spot on the SEB is prominent in these images.  Note the dark stripes that run though it.   The GRS is rising of the left while the Red Spot Z and the NNTZ LRS is setting on the right.  The NEB is very active. Note the bright outbreaks as the NEB interacts with the festoons.

The STB Ghost can be seen as a bluish feature to the right of the CM.  The cyclonic ovals on the SSTB looks complex.    Note the bright band north of the NTB.

It has been cloudy during the last few days.  Seeing was okay but transparency was poor.

Note the small SSTB white ovals and the dark cyclonic oval.  The SEB has the usual activity.  The NEB is active.  Note the ovals on the northern temperate area.

I'm back imaging Jupiter again after taking a few days off because of other commitments.  Seeing was excellent this evening.  Unfortunately, while preparing to imaging, I banged my forehead hard into the OTA !   My head hurt bad while taking these images!

Lots of things going on in Jupiter!  The Red Spot Z continues to have a reddish hue while the NNTZ LRS has a dark red color with a dark halo.  Both these spots are bright in Methane band.  There is a Methane Band bright spot on the SEB/EZ border.  There are no distinct object in the color image that seem to correspond to this spot.

The SEB light region is coming into view.  The complex feature on the SEBn seems to be the wake of this object.

The STB Ghost is the bluish feature and it is dark in Methane Band.  Note the red parallel wave lines on the STrZ!

Seeing was excellent this evening!

Not the cyclonic ovals on the SSTB.  The SEB looks complex.  There are dark red barges on the mid-SEB.  The NEB has a lot of rifts.

Seeing was variable this evening but there were periods of good seeing.   I had a guest this evening.  Martin Fiedler from Dresden was here this evening and we had a nice imaging session.

The GRS and Oval BA can be seen in these images.   The GRS is well resolved.  The wake of the GRS continues to be very complex.  Oval BA is getting closer to the GRS.  Conjunction should happen in the coming months.  Unfortunately, this might happen when Jupiter is very close to the sun.

The South Polar  Red Oval ban also be seen south of the GRS.  This spot was resolved in recent Hubble images.

The NEB is very complex with multiple rifts and outbreaks.

Condition was perfect this evening. 

Red Spot Z still has a faint reddish color.  It hasn't reddened.  The NNTZ LRS has a very dark red color and a dark halo.  Both of these spots are bright in CH4.

Note the complex feature on the NEBn preceding the RSZ.  The SEBn is very complex with the "wake" of the SEB light spot.  The STB ghost is rising on this image.  This feature is very dark in CH4.  Note the reddish band on the STrZ.

Ganymede is peeking out of Jupiter.  Unfortunately, it is tough to align with the derotated image.

Imaging was very tough this evening!  Transparency was only 2/5 because of clouds!  Seeing was good though.  To get the color image, I had to capture 9 sets of RGB with less than half my usual frame rate and at a histogram setting half of my usual!  Here is another example of the Winjupos derotation saving the day!

Oval BA is clearly resolved in this image.  Even the white central core and it's small wake is resolved.  The complex wake of the GRS can be seen on the SEB. 

The NEB is dark and narrow.  Some outbreak/rift activity can be seen.  Note the small dark red spot on the NEBn.  This small spot seem to be surrounded with reddish material.

Seeing was excellent when I started imaging but it deteriorated as Jupiter got lower.

The GRS is rising on the left.  The NNTZ LRS and Red Spot Z is setting on the right.  The STB remnant is prominent on these images.   It is very dark in CH4.  Note the bright object on the SEB.  It seems to be creating a bright wake on it's preceding side.  The NEB is quiet in this region.

Transparency was poor again but seeing was good.  I had to do more capture than normal to get a decent image.

Note the dark spots on the STB that is coming from the GRS.  The SEB is very dark.  The NEB has an outbreak.   Note the group of ovals lining up on the NTZ.

Transparency was poor because of thin clouds but seeing was okay.

Here's an image of the GRS.   Note that the GRS seem to be flattened on it's north side.  The wake of the GRS is very complex.    Io and it's shadow can be seen on the SEBn.  The NEB is very active with multiple outbreaks and rifts. 

Seeing was excellent this evening.  Transparency was variable because of clouds.  This evening I was also attacked by a dozen insects.  It was quite irritating because the getting inside my shirt!

Note the cyclonic ovals on the SSTB between the anti-cyclonic ovals.  There are dark red barges on the SEBs.    The STrZ has a reddish tinge on it.

The NEB is very active with multiple outbreaks, but it width is narrow. 

The ROZ  is rising on this image.  It's color is very pale. The NNTZ LRS is also rising.  Both of these spots are bright in CH4.

I have finally cleaned my camera!  Seeing was good this evening.

The Oval BA is approaching the GRS.  Oval BA is well resolved and the white core can be seen.   The GRS is setting in these images.

The SEB and NEB continue to be very active with many outbreaks.

I had a frustrating imaging session this evening!  Seeing was great.  I cleaned the camera this morning only to find out that it wasn't cleaned that well.  I tried to spend some time cleaning the camera again but things only got worse!  The vertical artifacts are caused by my attempts to clean the camera. 

The NNTZ LRS can be seen and it has a pale color now.   The Red Spot Z has a faint reddish color.  I doesn't seem to be getting a stronger red color. 

The NEB is quiet in this region.  Note the bluish feature on the STB.  The STrZ has a reddish tinge.

Transparency was poor this evening but seeing was good.

The SSTB spots are well resolved.   Note the dark spots on the STB.   There are a lot of outbreaks and rift activity in the NEB.  

Seeing was excellent this evening.    But this session was a bit frustrating for me because in my rush to image as early as possible to support the group that was imaging Jupiter using the Hubble Space Telescope.  Fortunately, I was able to get some good images.

The GRS and Oval BA are getting close to each other.  The GRS has a strong red color.   The dark red core is resolved in these images.  There is also a dark ring around the GRS.

The wake of the GRS is very complex.  The NEB is also very active in this region.

I had some guests during my imaging session this evening.   Alan Hale, Corey Lee and Joshua Lazenby of Celestron are here in Cebu to visit a supplier.   They joined me in this imaging session.  Seeing was excellent.   I am using a prototype Celestron Skyris 132M.

Oval BA is at the CM.   The color of Oval BA is a bit pale and the central white core is resolved.  The SEB shows the edge of the wake of the GRS.  The NEB looks very complex.   Note the dark barges on  the NTB.

Seeing was excellent this evening!

3 red spots are featured in these images.    In the first image, the Red Oval Z and the NNTZ LRS can be seen setting on the right. The GRS is rising on the left.  The dark center of the GRS is well resolved.  There seems to be some dark material around the GRS.  These 3 red spots are bright in Methane Band.

There is an interesting white feature on the STB at the CM of the first image.  This looks like a cyclonic formation.  It even has a dark "wake" preceding it.  The STrZ has seems to be peppered with reddish material.   Europa is at the SEB preceding the GRS.  The SEB is very dark and there seems to be some interaction between the SEB and the "light" SEB feature creating the black SEBn.  There are a lot of rifts on the NEB.

Note the bright white ovals on the NTB.  The "Mickey" feature on the SSTB is gone and the cyclonic oval that was the head has already been flattened!

A rare tropical cyclone which lingered in our area created cloudy and rainy conditions when this month was suppose to be the height of th edry season.  Seeing was good this evening.

Note the strange cyclonic oval in the STB.   It's a white cyclone with a dark center.  The SEB is very dark.  The southern part of the SEB has dark barges.  The NEB has a lot of rifts.

Seeing was again variable this evening.

Oval BA is setting on this image.  Note the dark barges in the SPR area.  The SEB looks quiet in this region.  Io is exiting the SEB.

The NEB is dark and narrow.  There is a lot of rift activity

Seeing was variable this evening.   But there were moments of good seeing.

The GRS is well resolved in these images.    The dark center of the GRS can be seen.  Note the dark bar on the northern side of the GRS.  Red material seem to be spreading from the GRS to the STrZ. The wake of the gRS is very complex.    The "Mickey" oval on the SSTB have broken up with the cyclonic spot which was the head is flattened.  Note the small red spot between the two anticyclones on the left. 

The NEB has a dark color and some rift activity.  Note also the dark barges on the NTBn.  The moon peeking out of Jupiter on the last image is Io.

Seeing was excellent this evening! 

It's been over a month since I last imaged Red Spot Z.   It's color is still very pale but it is still distinctly red.  The NEB has a lot of complex rifts. 

The NNTZ LRS has a very strong red color.  It also is sporting a dark halo.  Note the little red spots around the NNTZ LRS.

The SEB is very dark.  The  northern edge is even grey.  Note the reddish streak on the STrZ.

Seeing was good this evening. 

Oval BA has a very pale color.   The white core can still be resolved.    The wake of the GRS is very complex.    A rift seems to be developing at the NEB on the left.  The dark barge on the NTZ seems to have a reddish oval extension on it's northern side. 

I imaged a little late this evening because I had to attend a meeting.  Seeing was a bit unstable.

The GRS in prominent in these images.  It's color is very strong.  Note that the STrZ has a yellowish tinge.  The wake of the GRS is very complex.   Note that the "Mickey" ovals on the SSTB, the cyclonic oval that was the head has deformed.

The NEB looks quiet here. 

Seeing was good this evening. 

Oval BA is setting in these images.   Note the complex dark features on the STrZ.  There is also a dark red feature on the SEB.  There are bright outbreaks on the NEB.

Finally back to imaging Jupiter after my trip to Los Angeles.   Seeing was variable.  

Jupiter is getting smaller as it recedes from  the sun.  Oval BA is all getting closer to the GRS.  One can see the contrast of colors between the GRS and BA.   The GRS has a strong red color while BA is pale orange.  The wake of the GRS is very complex.  Note the bright disturbance like feature on the SEB following the GRS.  The NEB looks quiet in this region.

Seeing was excellent this evening but transparency was  terrible.

Oval BA can be seen just past the CM.  The white center is resolved.  The SEB is very complex.  Note the white outburst on the NEB. 

I will be travelling to Los Angeles tomorrow so this will be my last image until the 19th of this month.

Seeing was variable this evening.  But there were moments of good seeing.

The GRS is prominent in these images.  Note the STrZ around the GRS which is so complex.    The "mickey" white spots on the SSTB is moving closer to the GRS.

Note the outbreak on the NEB which is forming a complex rift system.  The NTB outbreak is evolving into dark streaks.  It doesn't look active anymore.

Seeing was terrible this evening.  I was only able to salvage one RGB image. 

The NNTZ LRS and the Red Spot Z are rising in these images.  Both spots are very bright in methane band.  The NEB is quiet in this region.    The SEB is complex.

Seeing was variable this evening but there were moments when it was good

Oval BA is close to the CM on these images.  The white core is prominent while it is surrounded by a dark halo.  The color of Oval BA is light.   Note the complex wake of Oval BA.

Io can be seen floating above the SEB.   Note the elongated shadow of Io!  This is the actual shape of Io's shadow as it rises!  The NEB is very complex and has a lot of outbreaks. 

I had terrible dew problem today.  Fortunately, my flexi dew shield solved the problem.  Heavy dew means good seeing.  Seeing was just stunning this evening. 

I was able to catch the Red Oval BA and Ganymede!   Surface details can be seen in Ganymede.   While the white center of Oval BA was resolved.

Note the bright outbreak in the NEB.

Seeing was variable this evening but there were lots of moments of excellent seeing.

The GRS takes center stage this evening.  There are a lot of activities around the GRS.  The halo of the GRS has a yellowish coloration.  Note the spot at the 11 o clock position of the GRS.  THe dark core of the GRS is visible.  The wake of the GRS is very complex.  Note also the material pushed out of the GRS to the STrZ on the preceding side.

There are a lot of rift activity on the NEB.  Note the Red Spot Z setting on the first image.  Note the two NTB disturbances with a dark cloud in the center.