Double Transit on Jupiter tonight -3/01/13

Just thought I should mention there is a double transit on the face of Jupiter tonight the 3rd of January 2013.

Io's shadow transits at 18.28 UT.
Ganymede's shadow transits at 18.32 UT.

Io's shadow leaves at 20.42, thus ending the double transit.

We have over 2 hours, so let's get out the telescopes!!

Just get rid of the clouds first, if you don't mind.

Aubrey.

Thanks for the heads up Aubrey.

Can you suggest some software or websites that can be used to obtain such predictions?

Good to talk to you, Albert. The only one I know of is www.skyandtelescope.com and click on Jupiter's Moons on the home page.

Aubrey.

HOW ABOUT THIS!!! Ganymede's shadow on South Polar Region. Io's shadow on SEB.

And to the west of Ganymede: it's not Callisto -it's double star BU 87!!! Component A is 6.2 magnitude and Component B is 8.6. Separation 1.9". PA: 168 degrees.

I'm blown away. A Double Transit and a Double star in the same field of view at 225X!!

Aubrey.

I have now just stopped observing at 21.00. And I can only say what a historic night it has been for me. BU 87 is a splendid double star. A is orange / red and B is simply white. I have never seen it before. Component A is 6.2 and B is 8.6.
Io came off Jupiter at 19.54. I also saw the Great Red Spot on the eastern limb whilst the 2 satellite shadows were still on the disc. I saw a large white spot on the SEB which in my opinion is far more distinctive than the GRS. Also I observed a thin Equatorial Belt going across the centre. These last 2 features I have never witnessed before.
Both shadows came off at 20.42 and 20.52. (Ganymede 2nd).
I do hope I was not the one and only person in Ireland to have seen the double transit in lieu with a double star. Of course my wife Valerie is a second person. The eyepiece I used all the time is a 5mm Nagler which gives me 225X. As far as I am concerned only a Total Solar Eclipse could exceed this most joyous spectacle.

Aubrey.

Aubrey - every time I've been out tonight, its been very cloudy (Kildare)

You must be (figuratively) over the moon - that is some observing session description and those conditions are unlikely to ever happen again - double transit and double star. Did all of that fit into the same field of view?

I'm really going to have to take a look through the 'scope of yours - SEB, equatorial bands in detail - and all visually. That's one impressive visual setup.

Thanks for sharing your infectious report with us. Hopefully others here took on your challenge and have managed to see at least the transits.

Dave