1:45 PM - 3:15 PM
[O08-P06] Photographing meteorological phenomena that occur on the surface of planets and considering surface phenomena ~ Focusing on Jupiter ~
Keywords:planet, flash phenomenon, Great Red Spot
Two years ago, an observation team from Kyoto University succeeded in photographing a flash phenomenon that occurred on the surface of Jupiter through automatic observation using consumer products. The equipment we used for the observation was a reflecting telescope, which was a little larger than the school telescope, so we thought we could photograph flash phenomena ourselves, so we started photographing mainly Jupiter and Saturn. Following on from last year, this year we aimed to improve our planet photography skills. The goal was to improve the accuracy of the photographs taken so that changes in the atmosphere on the planet's surface could be continuously investigated. A camera was connected to a Schmidt-Cassegrain reflecting telescope barrel through a 2x Barlow lens, and the camera was connected to a laptop computer. The footage was taken as a video, and the data was saved on a hard disk. Start the planetary image capture software (SharpCap) on your computer and take a picture. Select the camera exposure time per frame with Exposure, select the image resolution with Gain, and focus on the planet. For the video to be shot, we decided on the shooting time or the number of still images and started shooting. Taking into consideration the image processing after shooting, we adjusted the shooting time to 35 seconds and the number of still images to about 2,000. After shooting, the video data was analyzed using planetary image processing software (AutoStakkert!) and the images were stacked. After image stack processing, the image still has some blurring due to atmospheric fluctuations, so we used planetary image processing software (RegiStax6) to create a sharp planetary photo. When recording a flash phenomenon on a planet's surface, it is necessary to accurately record the time of occurrence, so we used a GPS receiver, which is commonly used in star eclipse observations. For this GPS receiver, I used a USB GPS receiver that is available for around 1,700 yen. This GPS receiver runs free software created by star eclipse expert Kazuhisa Miyashita to correct the PC time to the correct time. The camera used to take pictures is extremely sensitive to both infrared and ultraviolet rays, so when photographing planets it is necessary to use UV/IR cut filters to block both infrared and ultraviolet rays. When we photographed the planet with this filter on, the resolution of the images improved dramatically. We also used free software (WinJUPOS) developed for analyzing planetary photographic data to improve the accuracy of image processing of Jupiter. This software corrects image deviations caused by Jupiter's rotation during photography and can create a developed map of the planet's surface. We took pictures of Jupiter and Saturn, and the number of videos we took was 140 in total last year and this year. Last year, 7 out of 18 items were successfully photographed with a 39% success rate in photographing patterns on Jupiter's surface, but this year's success rate significantly improved to 94% for 17 items. A developed map of Jupiter's surface is being created using the images obtained. We also checked each frame of the video we shot to see if any flash phenomena were recorded on Jupiter and Saturn, but no flash phenomena could be confirmed. We succeeded in photographing Jupiter's Great Red Spot. When we measured its major axis, we found that it was 12.4 degrees, and that it was showing a tendency to shrink. We also estimated Jupiter's rotation period. In the future, I would like to photograph the rotating vortex of Jupiter's Great Red Spot, discover flash phenomena on Saturn and Jupiter, and continue observing the Great Red Spot to see if its size will decrease in the future.