Jupiter - January 2003

January 3, 2003

First attempt of imaging through a red filter (W25A). The use of this filter can catch a light some kind of details of bluish-grey color, or situated at a lower altitude in the jovian atmosphere.

These two images offer a good view on the mid-SEB outbreak that began at mid-december 2002. Unfortunately no images have been obtained until the beginning of january, and maybe the most interesant part have been missed. The similarity with the 2001 december outbreak is striking.

The anticyclonique and cyclonic white spots in SSTB are well seen, so is an important blue festoon in the EZn, being very dark in the red-light image. Note how the pale orange NTB disappear in red ligth.

January 3, 2003

On these images taken later, we can observe jetstream spots in SEBs, dark spots more visible in red light, being anticyclonic spots carried out by the SEBs jetstream, the faster retrograding jetstream of the planet.

Numerous complicated festoons in the EZ. Note also the complexity of the belts / zones pattern in the southern temperate hemisphere.

January 5, 2003

Excellent observational conditions... A lot of to describe !

The first thing to note is of course the GRS. On these images its increase of color since the 2001-2002 apparition is obvious. Visually, the orange tint is also visible, against the pale rose of some of the previous years. Its longitude has also increased : it's now at 84° system II.

The first and second image show very well the fading of the NEBn, that begun during the autumn of 2001. There is a pale brown sector of NEBn visible on the images that was deep brown until mid-december when it began to brighten while the reste of the belt has already faded. In consequence, the NTrB is now present, while during expansions of the NEB toward the north it is mixed with it. In reality the NTrB is the NEBn retrograding jetstream.

Note also the fading of the NTB, the very elongated aspect of the dark barge B4 (barges do fluctuate in lenght and width). The serie of white spots in SSTB is really nice.

January 6, 2003

Again some very good seeing, despite some passages of cirrus for the second image. The first image shows one the two NTrZ that is still whitening, on the second, BA in the STB and the WSZ in the NTrZ are visible.

7 Janvier 2003

Fair seeing.

The most curious point here is the difference between the first color image and first red image. This last one shows a detail totally invisible in color : a kind of "bay" in the SEBn, just like it was being invaded by equatorial clouds. This could be a manifestation of the South equatorial disturbance, an jovian phenomenon appeared in 1999. It was a deep blue cloud lying in EZs just at the border of the SEB and was linked with that belt by a white rift.

By clinking here you will go the a page where an impressive image from the Cassini probe taken in near infrared where the disturbance is beautiful (upper image).


12 Janvier 2003 On following nigth with an excellent image quality. The SEB outbreak is still active and keeps on producing white spots. There is an interesting white spot high in latitude, in SPR. Is it cyclonic or anticyclonic ?

The SEBs is heavily disturbed with numerous jetstream spots. Some very interesting blue structures in the EZs where classicaly only little blue festoons are seen, pale copies of the great festoons in EZn.

This image shows the very last sector of NEBn that is still large. WS3 in NEBn has just passed central meridian. On its left, a recent small white spot. The barges B6 and B1 enclose the large NEB sector. Note very bright WSZ in the right part of NEBn. Cylindrical map


January 23 and 24, 2003 Various hours of observations have permitted to see most of the planet. At the beginning of the evening oval BA was crossing the CM but due to the low altitude of the planet the seeing was poor. The seeing readily improved in the following hours. In the next images, it seems that the STrB has melted with STB ? Bright spot in NNTZ. Note the many white ovals in southern latitudes. A very small white spot is visible just inside the GRS.

The Barge B4 is still very impressive. Note again the spot in SPR, and a very brigth, overexposed, equatorial white plume. Cylindrical map