JUPITER STATS
Apparent diameter: 46"
Sys II CM: 28°

The seeing is quite good, tonight. Jupiter is rock solid at 247X and just a tad soft at 388X. The sketch at left presents features discerned at both magnifications through my 10-inch Newtonian. I used neutral density and 80A filters to knock down glare and improve contrast.

The Great Red Spot (GRS) is just rising over the following limb. Its off-white interior is bordered by a solid band of brown. The South Equatorial Belt (SEB) is split longitudinally, with the southern section being thicker than the northern section. The rift swerves north of the GRS before disappearing over the following limb. The North Equatorial Belt (NEB) has a distinct orange-red-brown coloration. It reminds me of polluted rusted water in a junk yard, so colorful you'd be tempted to have a sip if not for the poisonous aftereffects. A pair of festoons angle from the southern edge of the NEB through the Equatorial Zone (EZ) to the Equatorial Belt (EB). The polar regions appear unremarkable, an indication that the seeing, though quite good, is still not perfect.