Use the Starry Night Enthusiast \({ }^{\mathrm{TM}}\) program to observe the Galilean satellites of Jupiter. Open the Favourites pane and click on Guides \(>\) Atlas to display the entire celestial sphere. Open the Find pane and double-click the entry for Jupiter to center this planet in the view. Using the controls at the right-hand end of the toolbar, zoom in to a field of view of approximately \(13^{\prime} \times 9^{\prime}\). Stop time flow and in the toolbar, set the date and time to March 4,2004 , at 12:00:00 A.M to see Jupiter at opposition. Set the Time Flow Rate to 20 minutes by clicking on the number in the Time Flow Rate box and setting the value with the keyboard. Then click on the Run Time Forward button (a triangle that points to the right). You will see the four Galilean satellites orbiting Jupiter. (If these moons appear to move too quickly, adjust the Time Flow Rate to 10 minutes.) (a) Are all four satellites ever on the same side of Jupiter? (b) Observe the satellites passing in front of and behind Jupiter and look for their shadows upon the planet. (Zoom in as needed). Explain how your observations tell you that all four satellites orbit Jupiter in the same direction.

Step by step solution

01

Opening the Program and Locating Jupiter

First, open the Starry Night Enthusiast program and find Jupiter. This could be done by opening the Favourites pane, clicking on Guides > Atlas to display the entire celestial sphere. Then, open the Find pane and double-click the entry for Jupiter to center this planet in the view.

02

Setting up the View and Time

Use the controls at the right-hand end of the toolbar to zoom in to a field of view of approximately \(13^{\prime} \times 9^{\prime}\). After that, stop time flow and in the toolbar, set the date and time to March 4,2004 , at 12:00:00 A.M to see Jupiter at opposition.

03

Adjusting Time Flow Rate

Set the Time Flow Rate to 20 minutes by clicking on the number in the Time Flow Rate box and setting the value with the keyboard. Then click on the Run Time Forward button (a triangle that points to the right). This setting allows to observe the four Galilean satellites orbiting Jupiter. If these moons appear to move too quickly, it is possible to adjust the Time Flow Rate to 10 minutes.

04

Observing the Satellites

With the correct time flow set, observe to see if all four satellites are ever on the same side of Jupiter. Write down observations. Next, look for the satellites passing in front of and behind Jupiter and their shadows upon the planet. Zoom in as needed. Record observations.

05

Interpretation

Finally, evaluate the recorded observations to infer that all four satellites orbit Jupiter in the same direction. This is concluded from the pattern that the satellites follow while moving and the consistent direction of their shadows.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

• Full Textbook Solutions

  Get detailed explanations and key concepts

• Unlimited Al creation

  Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

• Ads-free access

  To over 500 millions flashcards

• Money-back guarantee

  We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Jupiter's moons

Jupiter, the largest planet in our Solar System, is renowned for its array of moons, particularly the four largest known as the Galilean satellites. These moons—Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto—were discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610 and have since fascinated astronomers and the public alike.

Each moon has distinct characteristics and histories:

• Io is the most volcanically active body in our solar system.
• Europa has a surface of ice and is a leading candidate for having a subsurface ocean possibly harboring life.
• Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System, even larger than the planet Mercury.
• Callisto is heavily cratered and geologically inactive, harboring secrets of the early solar system.

These moons provide excellent opportunities to study celestial mechanics, geology, and potential habitability beyond our Earth.

Starry Night Enthusiast software

Starry Night Enthusiast software is a powerful tool for both hobbyists and educators, allowing users to explore the cosmos from their desktop. With detailed simulations, users can pan across the night sky, zoom into celestial objects, and simulate astronomical events at different time settings.

This program offers vast databases of celestial objects as well as the ability to observe the sky from any location on Earth, at any time in the past or future. Users of Starry Night Enthusiast can witness how Jupiter's moons orbit, look for the moons shadowing the surface of Jupiter, and learn about orbital dynamics in an interactive and visually engaging way. The software aids in visualizing complex astronomical concepts, which is especially useful for exercises such as observing the way Jupiter's moons move and interact with the planet.

Astronomical observation

Astronomical observation involves watching the skies to study and understand celestial bodies and phenomena. It is a practice as ancient as humanity itself but has grown increasingly sophisticated with advancements in technology.

Modern astronomers use a range of equipment, from simple binoculars to advanced software like Starry Night Enthusiast, to track and analyze the movement and characteristics of planets, moons, stars, and distant galaxies. The objective observation of Jupiter's moons, for example, can reveal much about their behavior and the forces acting upon them. Notably, observing phenomena like moons passing in front of a planet or casting shadows upon its surface allows astronomers to make inferences about their orbital patterns.

Celestial mechanics

Celestial mechanics is a branch of astronomy that deals with the motions and gravitational forces of celestial objects. It explains how planets, moons, and stars orbit due to the gravitational force exerted by massive bodies like the Sun and Jupiter.

Studying celestial mechanics allows us to predict the positions of celestial bodies with great accuracy. This can be observed with Jupiter's moons as they follow predictable paths based on the gravitational pull of Jupiter. Their motion provides evidence supporting theories of gravity and orbital dynamics. Celestial mechanics is fundamental to the safe navigation of space missions, the prediction of eclipses, and understanding the past and future configurations of our Solar System.