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Credit & Copyright: Damian Peach  
  
   
Explanation:
Two dark shadows loom across the banded and mottled  
cloud tops of Jupiter in this  
sharp telescopic view.  
  
In fact, captured on January 3rd, about a month after the ruling gas giant  
appeared at opposition in planet Earth's sky,  
the scene includes the shadow casters.  
  
Visible in remarkable  
detail at the left are the large  
Galilean moons Ganymede (top)  
and Io.  
  
With the two moon shadows still in transit, Jupiter's  
rapid rotation has  
almost carried its famous  
Great Red Spot  
(GRS) around the planet's limb from the right.  
  
The pale GRS was preceded by the smaller but similar hued  
Oval  
BA, dubbed Red Spot Jr., near top center.  
  
North is down in the  
inverted image.  
  
    
Coverage Today: Asteroid Flyby
  
| January February | 
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A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
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Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Ganymede - Io - transit - shadow
Publications with words: Ganymede - Io - transit - shadow
See also:
