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2018-06-08
Mars is getting closer to its opposition in July just at the right time in its dusty season. After several detections of regional dust storms in the planet a global storm in Mars is on its development stage. Images by J. Rueck, D. Milika and P. Nicholas and D. Peach among other observers show the onset of this new large-scale storm. Orbiters around Mars are following the extension and growth of the current storm. A report from the MARCI instrument on the MRO mission is available here.
The image on the right compiled by Agustin Sanchez Lavega shows a comparison of amateur observations with data
from the MARCI instrument on Mars Recoinnassance Orbiter.
We encourage all observers to image this Mars dust storm. The five most recent planetary storms detected in Mars occurred in 1977, 1982, 1994, 2001 and 2007. Typical global storms on Mars can develop and lasts over time-scales of a month or longer.
2018-04-22
Saturn continues to display interesting atmospheric activity to the reach of amateur equipment. An equatorial bright storm with two sides and located at planetographic latitude +6.0 has been observed by several observers since February and notably over April. The feature is probably the same equatorial bright feature observed since 2014 and has been object of recent scientific research(Sanchez-Lavega et al., Nature Communications, 2016).Here are ephemeris of its transits over Saturn's CM using System I. Note that besides the prominent Equatorial and polar storms some other repeated features are observed also in the planet at latitudes +20 to +60.
WinJUPOS 10.2.2 (Saturn), C.M. transit times, 2018/05/16 16:41 Object longitude: L1 = 348,4° - 3,8516°/d * (T - 2018 Apr 01,5) Time interval: 2018 Apr 01,0 ... 2018 Jun 01,0 Output format: Date UT (C.M. of System 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2018 Apr 01 02:58 ( 350°) 13:10 ( 348°) 23:21 ( 347°) 2018 Apr 02 09:32 ( 345°) 19:43 ( 343°) 2018 Apr 03 05:54 ( 342°) 16:05 ( 340°) 2018 Apr 04 02:17 ( 339°) 12:28 ( 337°) 22:39 ( 335°) 2018 Apr 05 08:50 ( 333°) 19:01 ( 332°) 2018 Apr 06 05:12 ( 330°) 15:24 ( 329°) 2018 Apr 07 01:35 ( 327°) 11:46 ( 325°) 21:57 ( 324°) 2018 Apr 08 08:08 ( 322°) 18:19 ( 320°) 2018 Apr 09 04:31 ( 319°) 14:42 ( 317°) 2018 Apr 10 00:53 ( 316°) 11:04 ( 314°) 21:15 ( 312°) 2018 Apr 11 07:26 ( 310°) 17:38 ( 309°) 2018 Apr 12 03:49 ( 308°) 14:00 ( 306°) 2018 Apr 13 00:11 ( 304°) 10:22 ( 302°) 20:33 ( 301°) 2018 Apr 14 06:45 ( 299°) 16:56 ( 298°) 2018 Apr 15 03:07 ( 296°) 13:18 ( 294°) 23:29 ( 293°) 2018 Apr 16 09:40 ( 291°) 19:51 ( 289°) 2018 Apr 17 06:03 ( 288°) 16:14 ( 286°) 2018 Apr 18 02:25 ( 284°) 12:36 ( 283°) 22:47 ( 281°) 2018 Apr 19 08:58 ( 279°) 19:10 ( 278°) 2018 Apr 20 05:21 ( 276°) 15:32 ( 275°) 2018 Apr 21 01:43 ( 273°) 11:54 ( 271°) 22:05 ( 270°) 2018 Apr 22 08:16 ( 268°) 18:28 ( 267°) 2018 Apr 23 04:39 ( 265°) 14:50 ( 263°) 2018 Apr 24 01:01 ( 262°) 11:12 ( 260°) 21:23 ( 258°) 2018 Apr 25 07:35 ( 257°) 17:46 ( 255°) 2018 Apr 26 03:57 ( 253°) 14:08 ( 252°) 2018 Apr 27 00:19 ( 250°) 10:30 ( 248°) 20:41 ( 247°) 2018 Apr 28 06:53 ( 245°) 17:04 ( 244°) 2018 Apr 29 03:15 ( 242°) 13:26 ( 240°) 23:37 ( 239°) 2018 Apr 30 09:48 ( 237°) 19:59 ( 235°) 2018 May 01 06:11 ( 234°) 16:22 ( 232°) 2018 May 02 02:33 ( 231°) 12:44 ( 229°) 22:55 ( 227°) 2018 May 03 09:06 ( 225°) 19:17 ( 224°) 2018 May 04 05:29 ( 223°) 15:40 ( 221°) 2018 May 05 01:51 ( 219°) 12:02 ( 217°) 22:13 ( 216°) 2018 May 06 08:24 ( 214°) 18:35 ( 212°) 2018 May 07 04:47 ( 211°) 14:58 ( 209°) 2018 May 08 01:09 ( 208°) 11:20 ( 206°) 21:31 ( 204°) 2018 May 09 07:42 ( 203°) 17:53 ( 201°) 2018 May 10 04:05 ( 200°) 14:16 ( 198°) 2018 May 11 00:27 ( 196°) 10:38 ( 195°) 20:49 ( 193°) 2018 May 12 07:00 ( 191°) 17:11 ( 189°) 2018 May 13 03:23 ( 188°) 13:34 ( 187°) 23:45 ( 185°) 2018 May 14 09:56 ( 183°) 20:07 ( 181°) 2018 May 15 06:18 ( 180°) 16:29 ( 178°) 2018 May 16 02:41 ( 177°) 12:52 ( 175°) 23:03 ( 173°) 2018 May 17 09:14 ( 172°) 19:25 ( 170°) 2018 May 18 05:36 ( 168°) 15:47 ( 167°) 2018 May 19 01:58 ( 165°) 12:10 ( 164°) 22:21 ( 162°) 2018 May 20 08:32 ( 160°) 18:43 ( 159°) 2018 May 21 04:54 ( 157°) 15:05 ( 155°) 2018 May 22 01:16 ( 153°) 11:28 ( 152°) 21:39 ( 151°) 2018 May 23 07:50 ( 149°) 18:01 ( 147°) 2018 May 24 04:12 ( 145°) 14:23 ( 144°) 2018 May 25 00:34 ( 142°) 10:46 ( 141°) 20:57 ( 139°) 2018 May 26 07:08 ( 137°) 17:19 ( 136°) 2018 May 27 03:30 ( 134°) 13:41 ( 132°) 23:52 ( 131°) 2018 May 28 10:03 ( 129°) 20:15 ( 128°) 2018 May 29 06:26 ( 126°) 16:37 ( 124°) 2018 May 30 02:48 ( 123°) 12:59 ( 121°) 23:10 ( 119°) 2018 May 31 09:21 ( 117°) 19:33 ( 116°) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2018-03-31
Maciel Bassani Sparrengerger has imaged a bright spot on Saturn CM on March 29 at 08:16:05 UT that has later been confirmed by several observers.http://alpo-j.asahikawa-med.ac.jp/kk18/s180329z.htm
Updated ephemeris of this feature based on images from 29 March to 22 April are given below as calculated by Marc Delcroix. Urgent observations are required at all longitudes to follow the storm evolution, and search for other possible spots.
WinJUPOS 10.3.9 (Saturn), C.M. transit times, 2018/04/22 00:32 Object longitude: L3 = 181,8° - 11,7054°/d * (T - 2018 Apr 10,5) Time interval: 2018 Mar 25,0 ... 2018 Jun 01,0 Output format: Date UT (C.M. of System 3) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2018 Mar 29 08:16 ( 324°) 18:46 ( 319°) 2018 Mar 30 05:16 ( 314°) 15:46 ( 308°) 2018 Mar 31 02:17 ( 304°) 12:47 ( 299°) 23:17 ( 293°) 2018 Apr 01 09:47 ( 288°) 20:18 ( 283°) 2018 Apr 02 06:48 ( 278°) 17:18 ( 273°) 2018 Apr 03 03:48 ( 268°) 14:19 ( 263°) 2018 Apr 04 00:49 ( 258°) 11:19 ( 252°) 21:49 ( 247°) 2018 Apr 05 08:19 ( 242°) 18:50 ( 237°) 2018 Apr 06 05:20 ( 232°) 15:50 ( 227°) 2018 Apr 07 02:20 ( 221°) 12:51 ( 217°) 23:21 ( 211°) 2018 Apr 08 09:51 ( 206°) 20:21 ( 201°) 2018 Apr 09 06:52 ( 196°) 17:22 ( 191°) 2018 Apr 10 03:52 ( 186°) 14:22 ( 181°) 2018 Apr 11 00:52 ( 175°) 11:23 ( 171°) 21:53 ( 165°) 2018 Apr 12 08:23 ( 160°) 18:53 ( 155°) 2018 Apr 13 05:24 ( 150°) 15:54 ( 145°) 2018 Apr 14 02:24 ( 140°) 12:54 ( 134°) 23:24 ( 129°) 2018 Apr 15 09:55 ( 124°) 20:25 ( 119°) 2018 Apr 16 06:55 ( 114°) 17:25 ( 109°) 2018 Apr 17 03:56 ( 104°) 14:26 ( 99°) 2018 Apr 18 00:56 ( 94°) 11:26 ( 88°) 21:56 ( 83°) 2018 Apr 19 08:27 ( 78°) 18:57 ( 73°) 2018 Apr 20 05:27 ( 68°) 15:57 ( 63°) 2018 Apr 21 02:27 ( 57°) 12:58 ( 53°) 23:28 ( 48°) 2018 Apr 22 09:58 ( 42°) 20:28 ( 37°) 2018 Apr 23 06:59 ( 32°) 17:29 ( 27°) 2018 Apr 24 03:59 ( 22°) 14:29 ( 17°) 2018 Apr 25 00:59 ( 11°) 11:30 ( 7°) 22:00 ( 1°) 2018 Apr 26 08:30 ( 356°) 19:00 ( 351°) 2018 Apr 27 05:30 ( 346°) 16:01 ( 341°) 2018 Apr 28 02:31 ( 336°) 13:01 ( 331°) 23:31 ( 325°) 2018 Apr 29 10:01 ( 320°) 20:32 ( 315°) 2018 Apr 30 07:02 ( 310°) 17:32 ( 305°) 2018 May 01 04:02 ( 300°) 14:33 ( 295°) 2018 May 02 01:03 ( 290°) 11:33 ( 285°) 22:03 ( 279°) 2018 May 03 08:33 ( 274°) 19:04 ( 269°) 2018 May 04 05:34 ( 264°) 16:04 ( 259°) 2018 May 05 02:34 ( 254°) 13:04 ( 248°) 23:35 ( 244°) 2018 May 06 10:05 ( 239°) 20:35 ( 233°) 2018 May 07 07:05 ( 228°) 17:35 ( 223°) 2018 May 08 04:06 ( 218°) 14:36 ( 213°) 2018 May 09 01:06 ( 208°) 11:36 ( 202°) 22:06 ( 197°) 2018 May 10 08:37 ( 193°) 19:07 ( 187°) 2018 May 11 05:37 ( 182°) 16:07 ( 177°) 2018 May 12 02:37 ( 172°) 13:08 ( 167°) 23:38 ( 162°) 2018 May 13 10:08 ( 156°) 20:38 ( 151°) 2018 May 14 07:08 ( 146°) 17:39 ( 141°) 2018 May 15 04:09 ( 136°) 14:39 ( 131°) 2018 May 16 01:09 ( 126°) 11:39 ( 120°) 22:10 ( 116°) 2018 May 17 08:40 ( 110°) 19:10 ( 105°) 2018 May 18 05:40 ( 100°) 16:10 ( 95°) 2018 May 19 02:41 ( 90°) 13:11 ( 85°) 23:41 ( 80°) 2018 May 20 10:11 ( 74°) 20:41 ( 69°) 2018 May 21 07:11 ( 64°) 17:42 ( 59°) 2018 May 22 04:12 ( 54°) 14:42 ( 49°) 2018 May 23 01:12 ( 44°) 11:42 ( 38°) 22:13 ( 34°) 2018 May 24 08:43 ( 28°) 19:13 ( 23°) 2018 May 25 05:43 ( 18°) 16:13 ( 13°) 2018 May 26 02:44 ( 8°) 13:14 ( 3°) 23:44 ( 358°) 2018 May 27 10:14 ( 352°) 20:44 ( 347°) 2018 May 28 07:15 ( 342°) 17:45 ( 337°) 2018 May 29 04:15 ( 332°) 14:45 ( 327°) 2018 May 30 01:15 ( 322°) 11:46 ( 317°) 22:16 ( 312°) 2018 May 31 08:46 ( 306°) 19:16 ( 301°) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2018-02-05
A convective outbreak in the South Temperate Belt has started in the region previously covered by the STB Ghost and following oval BA. Observations by Anthony Wesley and Damian Peach show the initial stages of this storm on February 4. Additional images by Jim Phillips indicate the activity probably started around February 2.2017-11-08
Updated on 2017-12-04Amateur observations of an equatorial bright large cloud in Neptune since June-July and over October and November have allowed to folow different cloud systems over the planet. Equatorial features followed by amateur astronomers in this period includ the close interaction of two equatorial clouds in November 6-10 and what appears to be a chain of equatorial clouds visible afterwards.
Many amateurs now (most notably Phil Miles, Darryl Milika and Pat Nicholas) have observed these cloud systems repeteadly providing very useful data to study this unusual equatorial cloud activity in the planet.
Updated ephemeris of the bright equatorial cloud are given below and have been calculated by Marc Delcroix.
WinJUPOS 10.3.5 (Neptune), C.M. transit times, 2017/12/03 21:05 Object longitude: L = 218,6° + 47,4020°/d * (T - 2017 Oct 22,5) Time interval: 2017 Dec 01,0 ... 2018 Feb 01,0 Output format: Date UT (C.M. of System 1) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2017 Dec 01 09:08 ( 309°) 2017 Dec 02 02:48 ( 344°) 20:29 ( 19°) 2017 Dec 03 14:09 ( 54°) 2017 Dec 04 07:50 ( 89°) 2017 Dec 05 01:30 ( 124°) 19:10 ( 158°) 2017 Dec 06 12:51 ( 193°) 2017 Dec 07 06:31 ( 228°) 2017 Dec 08 00:12 ( 263°) 17:52 ( 298°) 2017 Dec 09 11:33 ( 333°) 2017 Dec 10 05:13 ( 8°) 22:54 ( 43°) 2017 Dec 11 16:34 ( 78°) 2017 Dec 12 10:15 ( 113°) 2017 Dec 13 03:55 ( 148°) 21:35 ( 182°) 2017 Dec 14 15:16 ( 217°) 2017 Dec 15 08:56 ( 252°) 2017 Dec 16 02:37 ( 287°) 20:17 ( 322°) 2017 Dec 17 13:58 ( 357°) 2017 Dec 18 07:38 ( 32°) 2017 Dec 19 01:19 ( 67°) 18:59 ( 102°) 2017 Dec 20 12:40 ( 137°) 2017 Dec 21 06:20 ( 171°) 2017 Dec 22 00:01 ( 207°) 17:41 ( 241°) 2017 Dec 23 11:21 ( 276°) 2017 Dec 24 05:02 ( 311°) 22:42 ( 346°) 2017 Dec 25 16:23 ( 21°) 2017 Dec 26 10:03 ( 56°) 2017 Dec 27 03:44 ( 91°) 21:24 ( 126°) 2017 Dec 28 15:05 ( 161°) 2017 Dec 29 08:45 ( 195°) 2017 Dec 30 02:26 ( 231°) 20:06 ( 265°) 2017 Dec 31 13:47 ( 300°) 2018 Jan 01 07:27 ( 335°) 2018 Jan 02 01:08 ( 10°) 18:48 ( 45°) 2018 Jan 03 12:28 ( 80°) 2018 Jan 04 06:09 ( 115°) 23:49 ( 150°) 2018 Jan 05 17:30 ( 185°) 2018 Jan 06 11:10 ( 219°) 2018 Jan 07 04:51 ( 254°) 22:31 ( 289°) 2018 Jan 08 16:12 ( 324°) 2018 Jan 09 09:52 ( 359°) 2018 Jan 10 03:33 ( 34°) 21:13 ( 69°) 2018 Jan 11 14:54 ( 104°) 2018 Jan 12 08:34 ( 139°) 2018 Jan 13 02:15 ( 174°) 19:55 ( 209°) 2018 Jan 14 13:36 ( 244°) 2018 Jan 15 07:16 ( 278°) 2018 Jan 16 00:56 ( 313°) 18:37 ( 348°) 2018 Jan 17 12:17 ( 23°) 2018 Jan 18 05:58 ( 58°) 23:38 ( 93°) 2018 Jan 19 17:19 ( 128°) 2018 Jan 20 10:59 ( 163°) 2018 Jan 21 04:40 ( 198°) 22:20 ( 233°) 2018 Jan 22 16:01 ( 268°) 2018 Jan 23 09:41 ( 302°) 2018 Jan 24 03:22 ( 337°) 21:02 ( 12°) 2018 Jan 25 14:42 ( 47°) 2018 Jan 26 08:23 ( 82°) 2018 Jan 27 02:03 ( 117°) 19:44 ( 152°) 2018 Jan 28 13:24 ( 187°) 2018 Jan 29 07:05 ( 222°) 2018 Jan 30 00:45 ( 256°) 18:26 ( 292°) 2018 Jan 31 12:06 ( 326°) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2017-04-12
The Cassini mission: Imaging Sub-System (ISS), Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) and Visible-Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) will be getting very high-resolution observations soon (2017 April 26) during the spacecraft’s initial “dive” between the planet and the inner rings. The ISS images will have a very restricted coverage of the atmosphere, so observations from the Earth are being solicited by Dr. Linda Spilker, Cassini Chief Scientist and the different instrument teams. Best times for observations will be ffrom UTC 07:48:11 to 12:22:11 but any close in time observations will be very useful.Message sent by Dr. Glenn S. Orton (JPL/NASA) on behalf of Dr. Linda Spilker (Cassini Chief Scientist).
2016-11-03
Dr. Glenn Orton from the Juno mission has provided the following list of Juno perijoves. Amateur observations closely before and after these dates will be very useful to the scientists on Juno.
2016-10-29
John Rogers from the British Astronomical Association has compiled a first report on the current activity on Jupiter. The report is posted on the BAA Jupiter Section web pages at: https://www.britastro.org/node/8102
2016-10-29
NASA’s Juno spacecraft has exited from safe mode on October 26 and is back on work. The next perijove will be on December 11. See this in NASA's press release on the status of Juno.
Information sent by Dr. Glenn S. Orton: Juno is currently in 53.5-day orbits around Jupiter. Next peijoves will be on: 2016 Dec 11, 2017 Feb 2, Mar 27, May 18, Jul 10, Sep 2 and Oct 25. Note that solar conjunction is on Oct 26. There is a +-24-hour uncertainty on orbits for March and later, but this will be refined in the next few days.
NASA’s Juno spacecraft entered safe mode Tuesday, Oct. 18. This implies that no Jupiter observations were obtained during the perijove planned for that day later on. More information.
2016-10-19
Jupiter observations obtained this morning in the IRTF by Glenn Orton show the outbreak of two bright plumes in the North Temperate Belt of the planet. This is a very important event known as a North Temperate Belt Disturbance (NTBD). The NTBD is a planetary-scale disturbance that has erupted in the peak of the strong eastward jet (150 to 180 m/s), similar to the one observed in 2007 and published in a paper in Nature in 2008.
See the images in Glenn Orton's facebook page.
After an urgent analysis, the two plumes are located at the following positions and will quickly evolve over the next few days.
Plume 1: Longitude: 82.9 III - Latitude (centric) = 21.8 N
Plume 2: Longitude: 114.3 III - Latitude (centric) = 21.8 N
We encourage observations of Jupiter even in its present close position to the Sun. Images of the plumes will allow to constrain one rare and very important event in Jupiter. Juno is in safe mode and could not observe these features in its close passage of the planet today but hopefully will be observing again in its next close pass over the planet.
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