Frank J MELILLO #237

Letters to the Editor


from Frank J MELILLO in CMO #237

  Click on the image for full size file

@ . . . . In this image, you will see a high resolution image of Saturn in red light Wr. #25.

  When you see that Ring A is crossing the disk, you will see that it is transparency enough to see the Northern Polar Region (NPR) or the northern limb through it. Also, you may see through the Casinni's division.
  Again, Ring A is trasparent. Saturn's northern edge is clearly visible throught it and especially both limbs.
  Some of you guys have sent to me Saturn images. I did not see the northern limb through Ring A. Now, I am wondering if this Ring A has some variation in transparency?? My image was taken at nearly perfect seeing conditon. With a slight blur, it is totally invisible.
  Please, I would like to hear your comments or any idea that it could be real.

(28 Oct 2000 email)

@ . . . . In this file, you will find Ganymede's high resolution image.

  As you can see, I have two best images of Ganymede from that evening of 10-21-2000 UT. They both look identical with each other. The southern portion looks brighter than the rest of the disk. Now as far as the resolution concern, it is a 1/2 arc second per pixel. Ganymede has an apparent diameter of 1.5 arc second. Therefore it covers 3 pixels on the image. I think I detected marginally like a brightening toward the southern limb. Io was also imaged to compare with Ganymede.

(29 Oct 2000 email)

@ . . . . I just want to inform you that it is my tenth year anniversary of receiving the CMO Mars Communications. I did not miss one issue. I started in October 1990 during the 1990/91 Mars apparition. It is very informational and I can keep track of what other observers are doing. Keep up with your good work and I am looking foward for the 2001 Mars' apparition with my CCD camera.

(1 Nov 2000 email)

@ . . . . Here are my latest images of Jupiter since 10-21-00. You can see the 'barge' or rod very clearly along the NEBs (near CM on 5:35 UT image) and the 'uneven' NEB-Z stretching nearly across the disk.
  Also, I would like to thank some of you for responding my e-mail for Ganymede's and Saturn's Ring A observations.

(4 Nov 2000 email)

@ . . . . Here are my latest images of Jupiter 11-7-2000 UT. The seeing was below average. I was just about to quit after my first image. But, there is something interesting along the NEBs and I continued to take more images in spite of the bad condition. The seeing got slightly better afterward. You can see three festoons from NEBs to EZ. There are neatly spaced from each other.
  I got some responses that some of my Jupiter images are too far 'stretched' in east and west directions. I adjusted the pixels even further and now the appearance should look alot better.

(8 Nov 2000 email)

Frank J MELILLO (NY, USA) :  FrankJ12@aol.com