Posted by Roy Hughes at 15:08 on 2011 Feb 07
I was fascinated by Damian Peach's movie of Jupiter, shown at the January BAA meeting, and have since spent much time looking at it on his website.http://www.damianpeach.com/barbados10.htmTo me the white ovals at the top of the movie appear to be dished, like lunar craters, as they come up onto the disk.Is this true, an artifact of the image processing or an optical illusion?.I am not a Jupiter observer. Is there anyone out there who is and and can set me straight?.
Posted by Andrea Tasselli at 12:48 on 2011 Feb 08
As far as I'm aware they are quite flat although that isn't exactly correct speaking of weather systems.Andrea T.
Posted by Roy Hughes at 23:29 on 2011 Feb 08
Thanks, thats what I suspected. Why they look like that on the movie I can't think. The way the leading shadow decreases as they roll up the side of the planet realy sugests that they they are lower than the main clouds.Roy.
Posted by Andrea Tasselli at 13:08 on 2011 Feb 09
Frankly I can't see the effect you're mentioning nor I ever seen it in any other image (even from the HST). Maybe foreshortening of the features as the approach the edge (or appearing from the edge) of the disc may explain what you seem to see?Andrea T.