A Close Pair, 2002/1/12 UT

Started by Dave Mitsky, 01/13/2003 10:35AM
Posted 01/13/2003 10:35AM Opening Post
Tony Donnangelo, Maura Smith, and I had a look at Ganymede and Europa after observing the Hesiodus Lunar Sunrise Ray. They formed a very close pair separated by a few arc seconds at most. We used his Takahashi FS-102 apochromatic refractor at magnifications up to 234x. There were definite size and color differences between the two Galilean satellites. After a much needed warm-up break we caught a glimpse of the GRS sometime around 2:30 UT as it approached the preceding limb.

Before Maura and I arrived at Tony's residence he observed a previously unreported triple sunrise ray in the crater Parry. The Hesiodus Ray by the way appeared similar to the several other times since 1994 that I have seen it, i.e., as a slowly widening dim streak of light that gradually illuminated the floor of Hesiodus

Tony and I also spent some viewing Saturn. The C ring was visible at the ansae along with a definite demarcation of the polar hood and two cloud belts.

Dave Mitsky

Chance favors the prepared mind.

De gustibus non est disputandum.