JUPITER STATS
Apparent diameter: 48"
Sys II CM: 313°
Sys I CM: 34°

The seeing is good--not great, just good--and I'm able to hold a steady view at 247X in my 10-inch Starfinder Newtonian. The sketch at left captures Jupiter's appearance at that magnification through neutral density (ND) and 80A (light blue) filters.

The most obvious feature is Europa's shadow against the South Tropical Zone (STrZ) in the preceding hemisphere. The shadow appears as a small black dot against the creamy zonal cloud tops. Several looping festoons are seen along the southern edge of the North Equatorial Belt (NEB). The festoons curl into the Equatorial Zone (EZ), connect to the Equatorial Belt (EB), and curl from the EB back to the NEB. The EB is quite subtle. The South Equatorial Belt (SEB) is split longitudinally into two sections, a thinner northern section bordering the EZ and the broader southern section bordering the STrZ. Both polar regions are cast in a dull gray hue.