Jupiter in April 2026

 Live view on Sunday night from the Jodrell Plank Observatory of the 127mm Meade Refractor 'slewing' to the planet Jupiter, currently just below the stars Castor and Pollux in the constellation Gemini.

" Kurt and the JPO team were amazed to discover the 'weather apps' were predicting a clear moonless night for Lowestoft. So, they 'fired up' the Observatory's 127mm apo-refractor to capture some video clips of the 'King of the Planets', Jupiter. The images on the computer seemed quite 'soft' but Kurt decided to keep the team active until 1:00 am, when Jupiter became very low in the west. Prior to the Jupiter data capture session, Kurt had not checked if the jet stream was overhead. The JPO team did wonder, whether the presence of the 'jet stream' was the cause of the soft or less 'sharp' planetary video clips obtained on the night and/or whether Kurt was 'losing it'?

Subsequently, the team's surmise has been proved correct by the current published 'Jet Stream Chart', which indicates a turbulent air stream outlier over Lowestoft.

Pip Stakkert has to date processed one of the video clips and produced the following image, which displays the planet's main features including; the two main equatorial belts and zones and the 'Great Red Spot' anticyclone.

Jupiter 11-04-2024, Meade 127mm apo refractor, Televue x3 Barlow lens, infra-red cut filter, QHY planetary video camera, 3 minutes Avi.
Image credit: Pip Stakkert at the JPO.

The whole JPO team had their Covid inoculations today and all team members are consequently on reduced duties for a few days. When they resume full activities, more images from this last Jovian session at the JPO, will become available and will be posted in due course" - Joel Cairo CEO of the JPO, the UK's most easterly astronomic observatory.

Credits: Enhanced image of the Great Red Spot anticyclone by Jason Major based on images provided courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS.