* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Jupiter black spot

Blobrana · L

July 20th, 2009: Jupiter (Magnitude -2.8) is in the constellation Capricornus.
The planet is best seen from 22.4h - 5.0h

Position(2000): RA=21h50m17s Dec=-14°09.7'
Distance=4.120AU Elongation=153°   Diameter=47.8"

Blobrana · L

Working with Glenn Orton, we're acquiring spectra of the impact site with IRTF/SpeX. Very bright in refl. sunlight, high altitude particles
Source

Blobrana · L

Update:
New infrared images seems to show that it is indeed the site of an impact.

Blobrana · L

This is a little too mystical for my tastes, but on the cusp of Walter Cronkites passing, and the Apollo 11 moon landing 40th anniversary, a mysterious dark spot has appeared on Jupiter.
The dark feature was first observed at approximately 13:30 universal time today by amateur astronomer Anthony Wesley from his home observatory just outside Murrumbateman NSW Australia. Wesley photographed Jupiter through a 14.5 inch Newtonian reflector.
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Blobrana · L

Transit times of the black spot

July 20: 03:01; 12:57; 22:52 BST
July 21: 08:48; 18:42 BST
July 22: 04:38; 14:34 BST
July 23: 00:29; 10:25; 20:20 BST
July 24: 06:16; 16:12 BST
July 25: 02:07; 12:03; 21:59 BST
July 26: 07:55; 17:50 BST
July 27: 03:46; 13:42; 23:37 BST
July 28: 09:33; 19:27 BST
July 29: 05:23; 15:19 BST
July 30: 01:14; 11:10; 21:05 BST
July 31: 07:01; 16:56 BST

Source Irish Astronomy

Blobrana · L

Impact mark on Jupiter, 19th July 2009

Preliminary image showing a black mark in Jupiters South Polar Region (SPR) which is almost certainly the result of a large impact - either an asteroid or comet - similar to the Shoemaker-Ley impacts in 1994.
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Ed ~ The black spot is certainly unusual, but as to what caused it is open to question. The weather system on the planet is very dynamic so it seems a bit hasty to conclude that it was the result of an impact.