Scott Degenhardt
IOTA - Santa Fe, NM USA
As Jupiter’s orbit ever so slowly closes towards edge on in late 2014, JEE events will have ever smaller separations between the Jovian moon conjunctions and near eclipses. JEE2012 showed us once again what all past observing Campaigns have shown, we are in unchartered territory and surprises in our lightcurves abound and need much more additional data.
2013 opens up with what I like to call the “Quarter of Io”. The geometry of the conjunctions of Io and Europa are such that starting in January and leading up to the April 4th UT conjunction of I-II the separations will get so close that we may skim the upper atmosphere of Io with extinction measurements. Using Europa as the probe for Io’s surrounding dust and gas field we will look for dimming as Europa passes behind Io line of sight to within 8 Io radii where we measured Io’s extinctive part of its atmosphere to in IAEP2009 and JEE2010. Add to that the excitement of JEE2012 showing us all new anomalies that may be material streaming through the flux tubes of moons connected to Jupiter’s poles, we may get repeated measurements of this new anomaly with this fortuitous close geometry. Pay special attention in the predictions for all events where I is in front and II is in back.
After the April 4th I-II conjunction I and II begin separating in distance of their closest approach with each conjunction until later when Jupiter’s orbit closes more. But then the Summer of 2013 belongs to Europa. Starting in early June Europa will be in front with Io in back being the probe for Europa’s dust and gas, and the conjunctions will get within 20 Europa radii where we measured Europa’s equatorial extinction to extend to. Starting in early June 2013 pay special attention in the predictions for all events where II is in front and I is in back.
Towards the end of 2013 every conjunction gets closer and closer until September of 2014 when the bodies of the moons actually occult each other and JEE data will be plentiful with each event. Record any part you can within a JEE event window of opportunity. Place high priority on events with smaller arc seconds of separation, especially when those separations are less than 20”. These measurements outside of occultations as the bodies are further apart are still important for placing outer limits and boundaries on Jovian dust and gas distribution.
Remember also that Io transits its Torus Tip once a day and suffers self extinction during those tip transits.
You can get the latest discussions on JEE work on the new Yahoo JEE_Talk Discussion Group:
Predictions through 2014, past results, and additional information about how to observe and submit data of JEE can be found at:
For information in Portuguese: http://www.rea-brasil.org/ocultacoes/jee/jee.html
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Santa Fe, NM USA
Jovian Extinction Event Principle Investigator
scotty@scottysmightymini.com._,_.___