ASSIGNMENT 2: ASTRONOMICAL IMAGES
For each Micro Observatory Robotic Telescope Network observation:
position: RA= 13h 24.9m Dec= -7 degrees 28 minutes
located in constellation: Libra Distance= 600 million km (33 light minutes) at closest to the Earth
Field of view: Normal Exposure time: 15.00 sec. Filter: Grey (ND4)
Hour Angle: -1h 40.4m
Comment on quality of observation: Micro Observatory is run by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Question: Why are some of the targets listed as “not up tonight”?
Micro Observatory Robotic Telescope Network observation:
Target name: Jupiter Type of object: Planet
position: RA= 13h 27.3m Dec= -7 degrees 39 minutes
located in constellation: Libra Distance= 600 million km (33 light minutes) at closest to the Earth
Field of view: Normal Exposure time: 15.00 sec. Filter: Grey (ND4)
Hour Angle: 00h 06.7m
Comment on quality of observation: Micro Observatory is run by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics.
Additional image(s) of target object:
(Website reference for image:
Hubble captures vivid auroras in Jupiter’s atmosphere. Hubble Space Telescope, 2016, https://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1613/. Accessed 2 February 2017. (It`s the updated information about previous research)
NASA Hubble Space Telescope Photographs Jupiter Aurora. Hubble Space Telescope, n.d., https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/opo9213a/. Accessed 2 February 2017.
Observers: The European Space Agency_______________________________
Exposure time: ____00.34 sec_______________________________________
Telescope used: ___ Faint Object Camera Aboard HASA/ESA HST and HST's WideField/Planetary Camera_________________________________________
Filter(s) used (may be a composite image using multiple filters) _____________
Ultraviolet light (1600Angstroms)_____________________________________
Other relevant details: ____Planet`s atmosphere has stunning light shows _____
__(perhaps colourful storms) (Hubble captures vivid auroras in Jupiter’s______ atmosphere)_______________________________________________________
Historical Image of Target Object:
Reference for image:
Rogers, John H. The Giant Planet Jupiter. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Image info
Telescope used: ___Voyager 1__________________________
Observer: ________NASA_____________________________
Exposure time: ____Unknown___________________________
Other relevant details: ___Violet filter is used, “filtered” image is presented ____________________________________________________
Any historical comments about the object by the observer: __Voyager 1 took views of Jupiter as a crescent for about a month after encounter along with rings of the planet (Rogers 32)______
Part 3
The largest planet among the Solar System is Jupiter. It is located in Libra constellation. It is the fifth planet from the Sun, which exists in the form of giant gas planet. Jupiter is at the distance of 600 million km from the Earth and 5.2 AU from the Sun. This planet is very massive, reaches the mass of approximately 2 times of all Solar System`s planets combined (NASA). It stands after the Venus in the list of the brightest planets, which can be seen without any binoculars or a telescope. This planet is named after the Roman god, which has the same nature as Zeus in Greek mythology. Jupiter has been represented as a typical planet for years, but now, with the use of technologies, astronomers proves its uniqueness – being the biggest planet in the Solar System, it has a lot of peculiarities to mention.
Considering the ability to see Jupiter with no equipment in a starry night sky, this planet consists of the variety of materials and atoms connections. With the use of telescopes and cameras, scientists can evaluate the changes in the planet`s outlook – with different wavelengths used, the appearance of its colourful clouds changes. Since the ancient times, there is no definite scientist to discover Jupiter, but Nicolaus Copernicus developed a heliospheric model of the Solar System with mentioning planets orbiting around the Sun.
(from NASA)
This model was then confirmed with the use of Galileo`s telescope and different researches have begun. This way, there is some information now. Jupiter is covered with colourful clouds: white, brown, red and yellow ones, so it reminds the stripes outlook. This planet is very windy and has a giant spinning storm – the Great Red Spot. Voyager 1 from NASA discovered rings, which are made of dust particles (Wild). Jupiter spins faster than any other planet – one rotation takes a day (10 hours).
The first spaceship that was launched to this planet in 1972 is the NASA`s Pioneer 10, which took images of the Jupiter`s clouds swirling and investigated its moons. There are 67 moons, some of which are geologically active. The largest of them are in the group of the Galilean satellites, named after the Italian astronomer that discovered them in 1610 (Wild). Moons - Calisto, Io, Ganymede and Europa – are made of rocky material. Io has some active volcanoes at the time, when Europa has the water icy surface.
Largest moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Calisto) (NASA)
Ganymede is the largest moon of Jupiter. Scientists proved this moon to have its own magnetic field. The planet itself has a strong magnetic field that influences the atmosphere for transforming gas into liquid. Following Wild, The Earth`s magnetic field is in 20 times weaker than the field on Jupiter (Wild). The giant planet has no solid surface, though, but may have an inner core at the Earth`s size.
(from Rogers 66)
Studies from various spaceships show the level of absorption on Jupiter: ammonia and methane in the atmosphere of Jupiter absorb solar radiation inevitably, with no changes through time. Following Rogers, solar regions are tied with the high-attitude haze at two images, when there is almost total absorption of the wavelength at the third image (Rogers 66). The spot in the center is Ganymede, which consists of no methane absorption. There were two cloud belts on Jupiter, which are clearly seen at the first image, but in 2010 one of them disappeared because of unknown reasons. There is a possibility that brown clouds of the band are just hidden behind the white ones, but there is not a clear scientific explanation of such a change.
This stripe was fading late for some past years, but it was not supposed to disappear fully. Perhaps, the ammonia cirrus have been brought by wind and turned into ice crystals that change the appearance of the planet. Scientists face such changes not for the first time – instead, similar cases of the belt absence happened in the 20th century, but were not so clearly seen. The brown stripe was noticed fading late, but not disappearing or hiding behind white clouds. Nevertheless, different investigations have to be held in order to determine the reasons of changes on the surface of Jupiter.
(from Phillips)
There are suggestions of dangerous return of brown cloud – it may be accompanied by vortices and storms due to the disturbance of natural order of materials and atoms (Phillips). In addition to it, there is no assuredness in something similar to happen. Nonetheless, Jupiter-circling storm groups will be monitored by astronomers all over the world in order to provide unique research of the modification on the planet`s appearance.
Nowadays NASA provides various studies about Jupiter and its peculiarities. Astronomers use the Hubble Space Telescope and its ultraviolet capabilities to watch auroras of the planet – they mention the changes in the energy entering atmosphere. Atoms of gas are collided with energy particles near the magnetic poles of Jupiter. The planet`s thermal radiation is exciting: according to Rogers, heat on Jupiter is emitted in the form of infrared radiation, while the planet receives heat from the Sun, emitting it almost twice much (Rogers 66). The infrared spectrum is a curve with lots of data to analyze. The information can easily be collected, but it should be analyzed by parts. It is caused by thermal differences - clouds in various zones of Jupiter influence the temperature in different ways, forming belts and poles.
There are three main directions of researches of Jupiter: the Great Red Spot, active auroras and thermal state on the planet, which connect all other astronomic studies. In order to understand the nature of the planet clearly, NASA launched Juno in 2011 with the mission of exploring Jupiter from different sides. It should take data about atmosphere of the planet as well as reveal the structure of the giant by gravity and magnetic fields. In addition to it, Juno program will reveal origins of magnetosphere with southern and northern lights on Jupiter – so-called auroras, which can be seen properly in ultraviolet light. The mission will end in 2018, so there will be a lot of data to analyze.
Jupiter as a planet is known among people from ancient times due to its brightness: the planet can be seen in the night sky without any advanced telescope. This way, the planet has been studied by scientists for centuries. Nowadays there are great amounts of data, which is regulated properly in order to constitute the phases of Jupiter`s modifications and mention the changes in its outlook. People all over the world are acknowledged with this planet because of the wide spread of information, and since different spaceships collect data about Jupiter`s surface and core, the flow of information cannot be stopped. All remarkable activities on Jupiter should be recorded by astronomers. Such a phenomenon planet cannot be left behind, as it may change the people`s understanding of the Solar System and the universe in general.
Works Cited
Hubble captures vivid auroras in Jupiter’s atmosphere. Hubble Space Telescope, 2016, https://www.spacetelescope.org/news/heic1613/. Accessed 2 February 2017.
NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/ . Accessed 2 February 2017.
NASA Hubble Space Telescope Photographs Jupiter Aurora. Hubble Space Telescope, n.d., https://www.spacetelescope.org/images/opo9213a/. Accessed 2 February 2017.
Phillips, Tony. Big Mystery: Jupiter Loses a Stripe. NASA Science, 20 May 2010, https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/20may_loststripe/ . Accessed 3 February 2017.
Rogers, John H. The Giant Planet Jupiter. Cambridge University Press, 2009.
Wild, Flint. What Is Jupiter? NASA, 10 August 2011, updated 21 July 2016, https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-jupiter-58.html . Accessed 3 February 2017.
