Jupiter Observations with the Boston University Imaging System

Using the 0.1-meter telescope at the Boston University Station at McDonald Observatory, we image the energetic sodium atoms which comprise Jupiter's extended `magneto-nebula'. These atoms are ejected from the atmosphere of Jupiter's volcanic moon Io by the interaction with Jupiter's plasma torus. The field of view in these images is approximately 6 degrees across, and we use an intensified CCD camera to capture the very faint emission at the outer edges of the nebula.
 

In January of 1990, the sodium magneto-nebula was visible out to at least 400 Jovian radii. (Mendillo et al., The extended sodium nebula of Jupiter, Nature, 348, 312-314, 1990.)
Subsequent imaging in February of 1991 showed the nebula out to at least 500 Jovian Radii. The overall brightness and shape of the nebula did not change significantly over the 11-day span of observations. (Flynn et al., The Jovian sodium nebula: Two years of ground-based observations, JGR, 99, 8403-8409, 1994.)
In 1992, the nebula was significantly less bright than in the previous two years. Additionally, the nebula grew visibly dimmer over the two-day observing period. (Mendillo et al., Imaging Observations of Jupiter's Sodium Magneto-Nebula During the Ulysses Encounter, Science, 257, 1510-1512, 1992.)

Stay tuned.

Coming soon: sodium nebula images from 1993-1998. But first we need to publish the paper!

 

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