(updated 2012-Dec-23 UT)

Results of past JEE events

Site under heavy and continuous construction! Please check back soon for more processed results.

Modeling the Jovian dust field, moon atmospheres, and Io’s Torus, and flux tubes through Jovian Extinction Events (JEE)

Brief description of reduction information:

Ephemeris for the Jovian system is acquired through the JPL Solar System Dynamics Group, Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System (http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi) rendering exact relative positions of the Jovian System. Horizon’s provides the X, Y offset from Jupiter’s center giving a mutual reference point for all four major moons at any given time UT as viewed from earth. To determine the distance in arc seconds between Io (I), Europa (II), Ganymede (III), or Callisto (IV) a pair of moons are taken one at a time and a hypotenuse calculation is perform as such (example here for I and II):

SQRT((XI - XII)^2+(YI - YII)^2)

The answer to this would be the true separation in arc seconds of Io and Europa. Horizons also provides the angular diameter of each moon at that reference point of time. Knowing the diameter means one can plot an exact representation of moon separations simulating an atmosphere of a specified radii. Horizons provides Range data, i.e. the distance the moon is from earth, so one can determine which moon is in front causing extinction.

We originally based all predictions on published data of expected atmospheric radii for Io and Europa. For Io, Schneider et al. (1991) estimated Io’s atmosphere to extend to about 6 Io radii. Brown et al. (1996) estimated Europa’s atmosphere to extend to 25 Europa radii. Our original efforts IAEP2009 and JEE2010 mainly acquired data focusing on events where Io was in front causing extinction to the moon behind it. We found on average that Io’s extinctive part of its atmosphere at the equator to be about 8 Io radii, but very asymmetrical depending on the angle you view it. We have measured material pushed ahead of Io out to 31 Io radii. But for reduction purposes you will find on some of the lightcurves both the IAEP2009 or JEE2010 derived atmospheres as well as the published 6 Io radii and 25 Europa radii values. Then we provide a current fit for that event where we tell the JPL ephemeris to trace out a radius that fits most of the lightcurve data points.

Additional prediction information can be found here: http://scottysmightymini.com/JEE/JEE2012_FAQ.htm

(Additional information on how to interpret results is after the table)


UT Date	Event	Observer name, location, affiliation (Click for lightcurve)	comment
	Type

20090803	IoJ	D. Parker, ALPO, FL USA	Io transit of Jupiter
		IAEP2009
20090807	IeII IoII	S. Degenhardt, IOTA, AAVSO, SAS, TN USA	IMCCE Phemu09 report filed
		D. Clark, IOTA, Humble ISD Observatory, TX USA	First discovery of Io extinction detection.

20090821	IoII	J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ

20090823	IeIII	D. Clark, IOTA, Humble ISD Observatory, TX USA

20090901	IoII	S. Degenhardt, IOTA, AAVSO, SAS, TN USA * Inverted Lightcurve image *	IMCCE Phemu09 report filed Confirmation LC of Io extinction detection.
		B. Timerson, IOTA, NY USA
		A. Scheck, IOTA, MD USA

20090905	IoII	J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ

20090905	IeII	J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ

20090916	IoII	S. Degenhardt, IOTA, AAVSO, SAS, TN USA
		S. Degenhardt, IOTA, AAVSO, SAS, TN USA
		B. Timerson, IOTA, NY USA
		T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA	IMCCE Phemu09 report filed

20090923	IeII	T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA

20090923	IoII	T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA	14"
		T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA	80mm

20090928	IIoIII	T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA
		S. Degenhardt, IOTA, AAVSO, SAS, TN USA
		A. Scheck, IOTA, MD USA

20091024	IIIoII	T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA	IMCCE Phemu09 report filed
		D. Clark, IOTA, Humble ISD Observatory, TX USA

20091025	IeII	D. Clark, IOTA, Humble ISD Observatory, TX USA
		S. Degenhardt, TN USA
		D. Clark, IOTA, Humble ISD Observatory, TX USA
		T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA

20091030	IIIoI	T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA

20091031	IIIoII	T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA	data no good, clouded out

20091101	IoII	S. Degenhardt, IOTA, AAVSO, SAS, TN USA	IMCCE Phemu09 report filed
		D. Clark, IOTA, Humble ISD Observatory, TX USA
		T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA

20091105	JeI	S. Degenhardt, IOTA, AAVSO, SAS, TN USA	IMCCE Phemu09 report filed

20091105	IIoI	S. Degenhardt, IOTA, AAVSO, SAS, TN USA	IMCCE Phemu09 report filed

20091113	IIoI	S. Degenhardt, IOTA, AAVSO, SAS, TN USA	IMCCE Phemu09 report filed First discovery of Europa extinction detection.

20091117	IIoIII	T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA
		A. Scheck, IOTA, MD USA
		A. Scheck, IOTA, MD USA

20091125	IoII	A. Scheck, IOTA, MD USA

20091203	IoII	T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA
		M. Hoskinson, IOTA, Edmonton, Canada	IMCCE Phemu09 report filed
		S. Aguirre, IOTA, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico	IMCCE Phemu09 report filed

20091215	IIoI	T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA	no reference moon, clouds

20091224	IoII	J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ * Inverted lightcurve image *

20100104	IoII	M. Hoskinson, IOTA, Edmonton, Canada	IMCCE Phemu09 report filed
		JEE2010 (many events missing from JEE2010 table and will be updated soon)
20100106	IIxIII	T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA

20100117		S. Degenhardt, IOTA, AAVSO, SAS, TN USA	simulated mutual event

20100425	TeXI	T. Redding, Redding Observatory South, IOTA, AAVSO FL USA

20101101		J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ * Inverted lightcurve image *	First fit of Io Torus tip transit
JEE2012 (data still pending, these plots are preliminary and will be added to and modified, so check back)
20120721	IIxI	M. Miller, AAVSO, TX USA

20120725	IIxI IIxI TwXI	S. Degenhardt, IOTA, AAVSO, SAS, TN USA A. Scheck, IOTA, MD USA D. Trowbridge, Tinyblue Observatory, AAVSO, WA USA	Triple JEE, first discovery of ability to detect Europa’s flux tube.

20120801	IIxI	D. Trowbridge, Tinyblue Observatory, AAVSO, WA USA

20120804	IIxI	S. Degenhardt, IOTA, AAVSO, SAS, TN USA A. Scheck, IOTA, MD USA D. Trowbridge, Tinyblue Observatory, AAVSO, WA USA	Repeat of flux tube anomaly in LC.

20120808	TwxI	J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ	Confirmation that the Torus tip JEE is detectable while Io’s orbit is inclined 3 degrees

20120811	IIxI	S. Degenhardt, IOTA, AAVSO, SAS, TN USA M. Miller, AAVSO, TX USA A. Scheck, IOTA, MD USA D. Trowbridge, Tinyblue Observatory, AAVSO, WA USA	Important miss

20120825	IIuIII	B. Giacchini, REA, CEAMIG, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil	Third flux tube confirmation, 31 Europa radii distance
20120829	TwxI	J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ
20120921	TexI	Bernd Gährken, Munich, Germany	Our first long term eastern Torus Tip. Shows possible double minima. Imaged in methane band showing less mag loss compared to unfiltered.
20120922		J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ
20120925		M. Miller, AAVSO, TX USA
20121003		D. Trowbridge, Tinyblue Observatory, AAVSO, WA USA
20121005	TwxI	Bernd Gährken, Munich, Germany	Imaged in methane band showing less mag loss compared to unfiltered.
20121006	IuIII	Bernd Gährken, Germany	Potential first Io flux tube measurement.
20121009		D. Trowbridge, Tinyblue Observatory, AAVSO, WA USA
20121010		D. Trowbridge, Tinyblue Observatory, AAVSO, WA USA
20121030		J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ
20121031		J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ
20121105		M. Miller, AAVSO, TX USA
20121108	TwXI	J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ
20121110	IxII	E. Iverson, IOTA, TX USA A. Scheck, IOTA, MD USA
20121117	IxII	E. Iverson, IOTA, TX USA M. Miller, AAVSO, TX USA A. Scheck, IOTA, MD USA
20121120	IxIV	B. Timerson, IOTA, NY USA
20121121	IIxI	J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ
20121123	IxII	B. Timerson, IOTA, NY USA
20121130	IIxI	B. Young, Werner Schmidt Observatory (I06), MA USA
20121208	IxII	J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ
20121209		J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ
20121211		J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ
20121213	TwXI	J. Talbot, RASNZ Occultation Section, Waikanae Beach, NZ B. Timerson, IOTA, NY USA
20121221		E. Iverson, IOTA, TX USA

JEE2013

(data still pending, these plots are preliminary and will be added to and modified, so check back)

Standard Nomenclature:

Dates and times are UT

“Event type” = (A) B (C)

Where:

A = object in front

B = event, where:

e = eclipse

o = occultation

x = dimming by atmospheric extinction

u = dimming by flux tube

C = object in back

Objects:

J = Jupiter

I = Io

II = Europa

III = Ganymede

IV = Callisto

Te = Eastern tip of the Torus of Io

Tw = Western tip of the Torus of Io

JEE FAQ: http://scottysmightymini.com/JEE/JEE2012_FAQ.htm

25 Europa radii atmosphere:

Discovery of an extended sodium atmosphere around Europa

Brown, Michael E. et al. Nature 380, 229 - 231 (21 March 1996); doi:10.1038/380229a0

6 Io radii atmosphere:

The structure of Io's corona

Schneider et al. (1991), Astrophysical Journal, Part 1 (ISSN 0004-637X), vol. 368, Feb. 10, 1991, p. 298-315.

Degenhardt, S. et. al (2010), Io and Europa Atmosphere Detection through Jovian Mutual Events, The Society for Astronomical Science: Proceedings for the 29^th Annual Symposium on Telescope Science, p. 91-100 http://scottysmightymini.com/JEE/SAS2010_Io_Europa_Degenhardt.pdf