Infrared Images of Jupiter & Io
Infrared Images of Jupiter & Io
These images compare the appearance of Jupiter at 1.64 µm (a wavelength
where you can see reflected sunlight from the clouds) and at 2.26 µm (a
wavelength where the planet appears dark due to absorption of sunlight by
methane molecules). The images are shown scaled to their true relative
brightness. When these images were obtained (by Phil Nicholson (Cornell), Mike
Meyer (UMASS), and Guy Worthey (Michigan)) at the 2.4m Hiltner Telescope at
Michigan-Dartmouth-MIT observatories, the satellite Io was in transit across the
disk of Jupiter. Io is a good reflector of sunlight at both 1.64 µm and 2.26 µm
and provides yet another reference point to see how dark Jupiter itself appears
at these wavelengths. Note that the shadow of Io is visible on the cloudtops of
Jupiter in the leftmost image.
Images, Images, Images
