Greetings from Padova,
finally have a few free minutes and a high-speed connection. Im here for the "official" celebrations tonite and this week for the Galileo Jupiter discoveries 400 years ago. the weather is cold, probably not unlike that winter night when he first gazed on those cold orbs orbiting giant Jupiter. I have been busy uploading new videos and stills from a large collection of new flyovers of the Galileo satellites. It will take the rest of the day to get them all up, but there are some up now. just check the usual sites: stereomoons.blogspot.com and www.youtube.com/galsat400
Hope to have more to say after the reception tonite!
ciao
paolo

---- CORRECTION ----
SORRY - mistyped the video link earlier!
stereomoons.blogspot.com and www.youtube.com/galsat400

and callisto too . . .

Those "spires" on Callisto fascinate me. One day I really will have to try and ferret out some good pictures of them. There's a poem there, I can feel it...

Usual question for Paul about those very nice renderings- what's the vertical exaggeration?

John

thanks john,
I dont have the exaggerations computed yet. Generally 10 to 30 times. it can be guessed from the dimensions, and for Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, relief rarely exceeds 2 kilometers. On Io, both mountains are 8-9 kilometers high so the exaggerations are less. Ill post some more in the morning.
paolo

Click to view attachment

Happy Io Discovery Day, Paul and Everyone! I have to say I am envious of you and Bob being in Padua for the anniversary.

As far as the videos go, I am a bit surprised by how close to the base level of the plains the gap between the northern high peak of North Hi'iaka Montes and the rest of the north-south plateau. I always imagined that the area was only slightly below the level of the ridged plateau, but I guess I should have known. There isn't much of a shadow on the plains from that part of the mountain.

I just finished up the Simon Marius part of my blog's series commemorating the anniversary. Still 2 more parts to go...

Thanks for the Marius blog, Jason- I learned a lot from it. I'm glad astronomers have matured since the 1600s and don't get into arguments like that any more

I got out my cheap home telescope last night and took a look at the Galilean moons (through a window- it was 9 degrees F outside) in honor of the auspicious occasion.

John

lucky you! we havent had clear skies since tuesday. its a wonder galileo could see anything that winter! to be fair, even italians
are complaining about the strong winter they have been having . . . and its only 20 in houston too. brrr.