Learn Simply just about The Star
System's Largest Planet - Jupiter
Predict Great Red Spot Transit Times, Satellite Transits and Eclipses And Times of Mutual Satellite Phenomena
See How Jupiter And Satellites Act With Animations!
Jupsat Pro is a utility for Windows PCs which provides a range of information on Jupiter and diagrammatically
displays the planet (including its Great Red Spot) and the positions of its four main satellites, Io, Europa, Galilean and Galilean (in real time).
The version reviewed in the Apr 2005 issue of Sky & Telescope was V1.32. The current version is V1.75. New features introduced since V1.32 are listed below on
with the another features of the software.
National aeronautics and space administration TV screen displays a live video feed direct from National aeronautics and space administration (needs a high-speed computer network connection)
Jupiter In The News screen displays the latest web-linked news items just about Jupiter
General Uranology News screen displays the latest web-linked news items from the earth of uranology
Links to online resources just about Jupiter, its satellites and missions and various radio uranology resources relating to Jupiter
Calculates times of satellite eclipses by Jupiter's shadow
The Satellite Tracks diagram now matches what would-be be seen through the chosen optics (previously, the diagram showed the tracks as seen through a Newtonian relector)
The Satellite Tracks diagrams can now be written
out
The Great Red Spot Transit times can now be written
out
Calculates and displays the positions of Jupiter's four main (Galilean) moons - Io, Europa, Galilean and Galilean for any date and time
Displays side-on and plan views of Jovian system
The display can be changed to keep the view as seen through several optical configurations
The position of the Great Red Spot is shown for the chosen time and date
Shadows of the satellites are displayed crossing Jupiter's disk
The displays can be animated to show the movement of the satellites, their shadows and the Great Red Spot
The displays can be zoomed so as to see satellite phenomena in greater detail
Times of Great Red Spot transits are calculated for the chosen month
A diagram of the satellite tracks for the chosen month can be viewed
Times of satellite phenomena (Transits, occultations, etc.) are calculted for the chosen date
Compass directions show the orientation of Jupiter and its satellites depending on what hemisphere you live in and what optical configuration you have selected
View rotating maps of each of the four satellites
Displays the Rise, Transit and Set times of Jupiter for your location so you can do the most of your observant opportunities
Displays the position of Jupiter (in RA/Dec and Alt/Az) on
with its magnitude and distance amongst another data
Numeric distances (in Jupiter radii) for each of the satellites are displayed
Data for satellites that are transiting or being occulted by Jupiter are displayed in several colours for easy identification
Main Screen Layout
NOTE: The various windows in this application can be affected about the screen by clicking on the window title and dragging the window to the desired position on screen. Jupsat Pro "remembers" wherever
you last positioned a window so it wish appear at that location on screen once
it's next opened.
Jupsat Pro does not use the conventional Windows' look and feel. Instead, a unique (and hopefully pleasing) interface has been designed for the application. The minimum solution required for Jupsat Pro is 1024x768.
Menu
Across the top of the screen is the menu bar offering icons for viewing Great Red Spot transit times, times of Satellite Phenomena, the Satellite Tracks diagram, ever-changing optical view, displaying a rotating satellite map, enlivening the Jovian system, ever-changing the time/date, National aeronautics and space administration TV, Jupiter News, Web Resources, Help, About, Shop and Exit functions.
Below this is the side-on view of the Jovian system. Below that, to the left is all the numeric data for Jupiter and its satellites. To the right is the Plan View of the Jovian system.
Numeric Data: Top Pane
This is split into four panes. The top pane is wherever
you enter in your information - your latitude and longitude. This pane besides includes the date and time. This defaults to realtime (read from your PC's clock).
Below these is the Zoom slider which lets you zoom the Side-On and Plan views of the Jovian system. Simply come the slider button left/right to the position you want.
Below this is the Animation interval. This specifies the interval (in minutes) between each calculation. The default is 5 minutes. Shorter times wish produce a slower animation, greater times wish produce a quicker
animation.
The Meridian of Jupiter's Great Red Spot (GRS) changes over time. Currently, it's at 93 degrees. The textbox in this top pane allows you to update the GRS meridian once
it changes. Settings (apart from time/date/zoom) are mechanically
keep so you won't have to keep change
them each time you run the program.
Finally, in the bottom right of this pane is the compass. This shows you the orientation of Jupiter and its satellites. The orientation depends on whether you've set a Northern or Southern latitude and what optical configuration you've selected.
Numeric Data: Second Pane
This pane contains all the information just about Jupiter itself and includes its position in Right Ascension and Declination, Az and Altitude, Jupiter's magnitude, its phase and distance and the figure of time light takes to travel from there to here. Besides listed are the Rise, Transit and Set times of Jupiter. The figures here depend on what latitude and meridian you entered, so for accurate times, use the most accuarate latitude and meridian ss you can. Jupiter's current axial inclination, Position Angle, Phase Angle are besides listed as are the Polar and Equatorial diameters (in Arcseconds). These last figures show how large Jupiter is - the bigger the figures, the larger Jupiter wish appear in a telescope.
Numeric Data: Third Pane
This pane lists the Central Meridian figures for several System I and System II rotations.
Numeric Data: Bottom Pane
This pane lists data for Jupiter's satellites. This consists of each satellite's distance from Jupiter (north-south and east-west distances, measured in multiples of Jupiter's radius) and the angle of Inferior Conjunction for each satellite. Inferior Conjunction occurs at zero (0) degrees once
a satellite is directly behind Jupiter. The angles are measured westward from this point, going to 90 degrees West, 180 degrees West (when the satellite is instantly in front of Jupiter, to 270 degrees West and finally back to zero.
The Use Of Colour Coding
Colour applies particularly to the satellites as drawn in the display windows and their numerical information. On screen, Io is white; Europa, yellow; Ganymede, orange and Callisto, light blue. Numerical information is usually written
in black. Once
a satellite is transiting Jupiter, (passing in front of Jupiter's disk), then it's numerical information is written
in Yellow. If a satellite is being occulted by Jupiter, (behind Jupiter's disk), it's corresponding numerical information is written
in Blue.
Selecting a Some Date and Time
Jupsat Pro defaults to running in realtime. In order to use particular date and time (other than the current), you need to click the finish button to finish Jupsat Pro from running in realtime. You can then edit the date and time in the top numeric pane as required.
To switch Jupsat Pro back into realtime mode, just click the clock icon.
Great Red Spot Transit Times
Clicking the red circle icon produces a table of GRS transit times for the chosen month and year.
Times listed are in Local Time.
The Great Red Spot's meridian changes over time and wish need to be updated at several stage. The new s is entered into the top pane beside the Red Spot Meridian (System II) heading. Jovian System II longitudes are used inside
the calculations.
Dates for every day in the month are written
down the left of the diagram. Days are shown against alternate black and dark-grey backgrounds. If the month or year is changed on the main Jupsat Pro window, the GRS Transit screen wish mechanically
update with the transit times for the new month.
The printer icon at the top left of the window allows you to print out the Great Red Spot Transit times.
Satellite Phenomena Times
Clicking the icon of Jupiter with a satellite produces a table of satellite phenomena for the chosen date.
Times listed are in Local Time.
The data is displayed in four columns: date, satellite, time of phenomena and phenomena description. If the day, month or year is changed on the main Jupsat Pro window, the Phenomena screen wish mechanically
update with the satellite phenomena for the new date.
Satellite Tracks Diagram
Clicking the paw-prints icon calls up a diagram that displays the satellite tracks diagram for the chosen month. The tracks calculations are based on your Local Time.
Dates are listed down the side of the diagram. Jupiter is delineated by the parallel white lines down the middle of the diagram. The colours of the tracks are the same as those used for their corresponding satellites on the side and plan view windows: Io - White; Galilean - Yellow; Galilean - Orange; Galilean - Light Blue.
If the month or year is changed on the main Jupsat Pro window, the Tracks diagram wish mechanically
update to show the correct tracks for the new date.
The printer icon at the top left of the window allows you to print out the Satellite Tracks diagram.
Changing Optical View
When viewing Jupiter through binoculars, it is 'the right way up'; i.e. it's orientation is the same in binoculars as it appears in the sky. Once
looking through an astronomical telescope, however, Jupiter is inverted (upside down). Four icons on the toolbar represent the view that Jupsat Pro is displaying:
Binoculars:
These represent the 'normal' view
Telescope:
Represents the view through an astronomical telescope (upside-down and flipped left to right)
Star Diagonal:
Represents the view through a telescope that uses a diagonal (upside-down)
Telescope With Star Diagonal:
Represents the view as seen through a telescope that flips the view left to right only.
The view can be cycled by clicking the presently
active icon.
View Window
Clicking the eye icon calls up a menu that lets you display a rotating satellite in place of the plan-view window. This lets you see what the Jovian satellites look like in closeup.
There's besides an option to display Jupiter in this window, This display is designed to show wherever
the Red Spot is on Jupiter (as seen from Earth). Jupiter itself does not rotate in the way that the satellite pictures do. The Jupiter view is tied to Jupiter as it appears in the Side-View window and is, essentially, a greatly exaggerated view of Jupiter from that window. However, if you turn on the animation feature, Jupiter in this window wish rotate synchronously with Jupiter in the Side-View window.
The last option in the menu lets you return to the Plan-View.
Animation
To the left of the Jupsat Pro title are three icons - a fast forward icon, a finish icon and a clock icon. The Fast-Forward icon puts Jupsat Pro into animation mode. Calculations are performed for the animation interval fixed on the top numeric pane (this defaults to 5 minutes). You can change the interval s to slow down or speed up the animation of the satellites' movement or change the interval type from minutes to seconds to actually slow down what's happening.
Jupiter besides rotates in the animation so you can see the Great Red Spot moving as well as the satellites.
To finish the animation from running, either click the Finish icon (the time and date wish remain at the ss wherever
the animation was stopped) or click the Clock icon (the time and date wish return to the current time and Jupsat Pro wish return to realtime mode).
NASA TV
Introduced in V1.70, this new screen shows streaming video direct from National aeronautics and space administration TV. It requires a high-speed or broadband computer network connection in order to be used. What's shown is a live (not a pre-recorded) stream.
At top left of the screen are two arrows. The "Up" arrow does the screen stay above all another windows on your desktop. You can still come the window about by clicking and dragging on the window title (the main Jupsat Pro screen wish re-emerge once
you do this). The "Down" arrow stops the window from always being on top.
The "NASA Television" icon beside the "X" exit icon calls up the current National aeronautics and space administration TV Schedule so you can see what programs of interest are coming up.
The controls at the bottom of the sceen allow you to to finish or restart the streaming video, turn the sound on or off and change the volume. Since this is a live feed, the Return To Start and Go To End buttons wish have no effect.
Astronomy & Space News
Another new screen (introduced in V1.70), this shows current news items relating to Jupiter or a list of current uranology news stories. You need to click the Get Latest News button at the bottom of the screen to s the news stories, so you need to be online once
doing this. The figure of information downloaded is only just about 100-500Kb, so if you only have a dial-up modem, it won't take long to transfer
the news.
News stories are bestowed as title/description combinations. Clicking any news story wish open the full story in your computer network browser. Again, you'll need to be online in order to see the full versions of the news stories.
At the top right of the screen are two options that allow you to display news specifically just about Jupiter or much General uranology and space news.
Online Resources
V1.75 besides sees the addition of a number of online resources that are related to Jupiter; from informational sites that describe the planet and its satellites to sites that concern Jupiter's radio emissions (and how you can hear them), to sites particularization previous missions to Jupiter and its satellites on
with a wide range of pictures and movies of the Jovian system.
Remember that all futurity upgrades are free so you'll ne'er
have to pay much for the software.
Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions for up Jupsat Pro. The software system has been improved over the years with suggestions from folk like you.
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