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Posted by: stevesliva Dec 24 2010, 06:22 PM

Phil over at Bad Astronomy has an incredible couple things from amateur astronomer Damian Peach:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/12/24/jupiter-the-bringer-of-jollity/

Peach's been mentioned around here before, but that's just incredible. Here's his own writeup:
http://www.damianpeach.com/barbados10.htm

Posted by: Decepticon Dec 25 2010, 03:57 AM

Amazing those were made with such small telescopes. Those look amazing!



Can you imagine in another 5 to 10 years what optics and image software can achieve!

Posted by: algorimancer Dec 25 2010, 10:23 PM

That's amazing stuff. The fine detail captured on Ganymede is awesome --- back in the 80's one of my more challenging accomplishments was 'just' resolving Galileo Regio through my 6" scope (I sketched what I saw and validated later to be sure I wasn't deceiving myself). These pics seem as good or better as the Pioneer 10/11 images.

One detail I recall from the Pioneer flyby (11 or 10, I forget which), as described in Astronomy magazine at the time (may have been Sky & Telescope, but probably Astronomy), was a reference to a "polar cap" seen in the images of Ganymede (almost certain it was Ganymede, though it may have been Europa). This image gives a similar impression:

http://www.damianpeach.com/barbados10/2010_09_18gany.jpg

Posted by: ups Dec 26 2010, 05:30 PM

Amazing images, but I was more impressed with Phil finding a way to use 'Jollity' in his blog header.

Posted by: stevesliva Dec 26 2010, 05:45 PM

He was quoting Gustav Holst. The fourth movement of The Planets is "Jupiter, the bringer of Jollity." 'course, knowing that, I missed the Santa connection. duh.