Jupiter and Io on Christmas Eve, 1994

This image of Jupiter and its innermost bright moon, Io, was taken at 
7:00 UT on the 24th of December using the MAGIC infrared camera on the 
3.5 meter Calar Alto telescope. Methane absorption in the jovian 
atmosphere darkens the cloud deck at the wavelength of observation, 2.3 
microns. The plate scale is 0.32 arcseconds per pixel. Ejecta from the 
impacts of approximately twenty fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 in 
July 1994 created the prominent band in the southern hemisphere. The 
band shines by reflected sunlight, since the ejected material lies above
the absorbing layer of methane. 

This exposure is similar to those taken earlier in December at a 
wavelength of 1.7 microns with the MAGIC camera. The planetary disk is 
darker at 2.3 microns than at 1.7 microns, enhancing the prominence of 
the impact structures. The better spatial resolution and improved 
contrast of the current image shows substructure in the ejecta band, 
which now completely encircles the planet. 

Image Information: 

24 December 1994, 7:00 UT  MAGIC Infrared Camera (256x256 HgCdTe 
Detector); 2.3 um CH4 absorption filter 3.5 m f/10 Calar Alto Telescope;
0.32 arcseconds / pixel 

Picture Credits: Tom Herbst, Peter Bizenberger (Max-Planck-Institut
   fuer Astronomie); K. Reinsch, V. Burwitz (Goettingen)

Contact People: 
Tom Herbst, Max-Planck-Institut fuer Astronomie, Heidelberg
  Doug 
Hamilton, Max-Planck-Institut fuer Kernphysik, Heidelberg