RIT Observatory Public Night

Apr 15, 2005

You can find this page on the Internet at

http://spiff.rit.edu/richmond/ritobs/public/apr15_2005/apr15_2005.html


Jupiter and its satellites

Jupiter rises in the east just after sunset during April. It's easy to find -- just face east and look for the brightest, steadiest object in the sky. When you look at Jupiter tonight, you'll have a chance to see its Great Red Spot: it will be moving from the middle of the planet's disk at 8:00 PM to the western edge by 10:00. The figure on the left below shows its appearance at 9:00 PM.

We should be able to see all four of Jupiter's moons, too. They change position from night to night as they revolve around the planet, but tonight, they should be at the positions shown in the figure at right.

Can you see the Great Red Spot? What are the colors of the cloud bands in Jupiter's atmosphere? How many of Jupiter's moons can you find?