TV-102 excorcised Jupiter's Ghost

by Ron Bhanukitsiri

Tonight (01/11/02), a somewhat steady night has returned. I decided to spend some time with old buddies, TV-102, Jupiter and Saturn. Saturn is its usual beauty with easy Crepe Ring, small shadow on the ring, three bands on the planet. Tonight it took 293x (3mm TV Radian) with ease. TV-102 also yielded a good contrasty view of Jupiter at up to 176x and soften a bid at 220x. Best view was 146x and 176x with best contrast achieved by the MV1 filter. Two dark-red barges in the NEB above the GRS were easily caught at 8:50pm PST (3:50 UT). I think a saw a white oval near the GRS, but alas I couldn't be sure. Just then, Jupiter seemed to be growing a pimple, like a teenager. It was Calisto coming out from behind the gas giant. At 9:10pm PST, Jupiter disc looked like it gotten chipped with a small ink-black dot at the rim. It turned out to be Calisto's shadow ;-).

The sky LM near the Ghost was 4.5 and the steady seeing has started to erode an hour or so later. The TV-102 decided to exorcise the Ghost of Jupiter (NGC 3242), a mag 8 PN. It was quite low on the eastern horizon. At 22x (40mm Pentax XL), I immediately noticed that it looked a lot smaller than Jupiter! More like an unfocused green star. Round green shape and clearly a PN at 30x. Very bright greenish at 60x and the PN is enclosed by 3 stars: mag 9.8 GSC 6065589, mag 11.1 GSC 6065:765, and mag 12.3 GSC 6065:706. One more star, a mag 12.5 GSC 6065:720, a near GSC 6065:706 showed up at 110x (8mm TV Radian PN killer). There apperas to be a very faint nebulosity surrounding the PN. Still smaller than Jupiter. 6mm Radian (146x) revealed uneven brightness with the PN, hint of oval shape detected. More of the same at 176x, still green. 220x still showed the 4 stars enclosing the PN and the size of the PN seemed to match the size of Jupiter at 110x. Graininess can now be seen within the PN. Why I may even imagine two bands - just kidding! Very green and a definite, slightly oval shape. At 293x (3mm Radian), the 4 stars just about fit in the FOV. Shockingly, I glimpsed an annulus. Still very bright, grainy and green. 356x gave similar view. Now I got you folks out there with 45deg AFOV orthos converted to try wide-field viewing (such as the Radian), right ;-)? The only disappointment was that the TV-102 failed to cast out the last demon, its 12.3 magnitude central star :-(. Later, I did some research and was very satisfied that my view looked a heck of a lot like this excellent sketch with a 10" Newt I found on the web, only a wee less bright! Note the graininess. I may add that the TV-102 did not use any filter. http://www.jwebdale.btinternet.co.uk/ngc3242.htm

Anyone care to guess why NGC 3242 is called the Ghost of Jupiter? I couldn't figure out! But then, it hit me in the belly like the comet that hit Jupiter! The TV-102/Radian was hinting all night! Most of us can see the 4 moons of Jupiter, right? Well, 4 moons vs 4 stars surrounding NCG 3242 ;-). Yeah, right (sounding sarcastic)!

Tonight, the TV-102 managed to reassure me that it is not only a capable little planetary preacher, but it's also a capable little DSO exorcist ;-). Stay tuned for Astro-Excorcist II, the demon central star ;-).