It's official, there are only 8 planets in our solar system.

Yesterday, Pluto officially lost it's planet certificate and is now consider one of many "dwarf planets". Many thought pluto would become a "pluton". But that just wasn't the case. Now the textboxes have to be re-written.

Here is a great article, with pictures on why Pluto had to go.

Will Pluto remain a planet or become a Pluton? There is much debate as whether Pluto is really a planet. With an abnormal orbit, when compared to the other planets in our system, Pluto has always been an "odd ball"...and a smaller ball than most thought when it was discovered.

From the John Hopkins Gazette
* Karl Glazebrook, professor in Physics and Astronomy: "My take is that a physical definition like the one proposed makes sense: something large enough to be spherical and which is not a satellite. But if I were in charge, I would insist on a diameter of greater than 1,000 kilometers to define a planet in order to remove Ceres from the list, but that would be an arbitrary cut to preserve the order of the main nine and to save the hassle of rewriting textbooks. Definitions and naming really matter little physically, anyway."

* Richard Conn Henry, professor in Physics and Astronomy: "I think the notion that Pluto is a planet is absurd. When it was initially discovered, it was thought to be vastly more massive than it turned out to be. Its orbit is radically different from that of all the other planets. Down with Pluto is what I say!"

It should be interesting to see the results, when and if a decision is agreed upon.

For the second time in a week, humanity watched in fear and awe as a mysterious arm, estimated to be some 3 million light years across, once again appeared to part the black fabric of space, point an angry finger directly at Jupiter, and shout "No!" - SatireWire

Funny article and the images do make it look like it is pointing to Jupiter.

During July the Earth is at its furtherest position from the Sun when it reaches a point known as aphelion, during northern hemisphere summer.

Thursday night a telescope showed two of Jupiter's moons, Europa and Callisto, closely paired west of the planet, and Io closer in on the same side. Ganymede, the brightest, is by itself on the east side. Tonight, the two largest moons, Ganymede and Callisto, will appear far enough out to observe through binoculars as faint "stars" west (right) of the planet, while Europa will be closer in on the east. Also tonight, Io will remain hidden in Jupiter's shadow until 10:16 p.m. local time.

For over 340 years, we have been watching what may be the solar system's longest lasting storm, Jupiter's Great Red Spot. Since Cassini first discovered it in 1665, after Hans Lippershey invented the telescope in 1608, many have been intrigues with the great gas giant. The high-pressure storm rotates (in the opposite direction from low-pressure Earth hurricanes) due to Coriolis effects (just as on Earth) making a complete rotation every 6 days (2.5 times faster than storms rotate on Earth). Jupiter's fast rotation rate (a 10-hour day) helps drive the storm. See animation of the storm, courtesy of Wikipedia.

Jupiter: Planet Profile

Mass (kg)	1.90 x 1027
Diameter (km)	142,800
Mean density (kg/m3)	1314
Escape velocity (m/s)	59500
Average distance from Sun	5.203 AU (778,412,020 km)
Rotation period (length of day in Earth days)	0.41 (9.8 Earth hours)
Revolution period (length of year in Earth years)	11.86
Obliquity (tilt of axis degrees)	3.08
Orbit inclination (degrees)	1.3
Orbit eccentricity (deviation from circular)	0.048
Mean surface temperature (K)	120 (cloud tops)
Visual geometric albedo (reflectivity)	0.44
Atmospheric components	90% hydrogen, 10% helium, .07% methane
Rings	Faint ring. Infrared spectra imply dark rock fragments.

Another great night of viewing Jupiter with clear skies in Florida. Jupiter is the brightest object after sunset, except for the moon. The planet shines brightly in the southern sky, high above the faint Saturn and Mars low in the sky to the west. Jupiter sets around 2 AM  right now and around midnight by mid-July.

Jupiter, Florida (Jupiter Florida Newswire)
Renowned astronomer, Peter Krieger brings his 12 foot mobile telescope to Jupiter, Florida to take pictures of the gas giant, Jupiter.  With clear Florida skies, Peter Krieger aimed his telescope to the south-southwestern sky to hone in on the planet Jupiter.

"Since I have always been fond of the planet Jupiter, I thought why not take pictures of the planet Jupiter from my favorite Florida town, Jupiter", said Peter Krieger, "We were lucky enough to catch a spectacular clear sky and from the south point, we were able to take some wonderful pictures from my 12 foot mobile telescope".

Peter Krieger, who built his first telescope at the age of 8, has been an avid astronomer for over 45 years. Krieger hopes to return to Jupiter, Florida soon with the new telescope he is building, a mobile 18 foot telescope.

Bob Walshon, a Jupiter Florida resident claims he was hit in the back by a meteorite.

"I came for the fishing," quipped the 51-year-old Jupiter health care consultant Monday, recalling why he had moved to the area. "I thought I'd be getting hit by a bunch of dolphin."

Walshon, who was knocked by the rock six years ago as he was pulling weeds in front of its house, in northern Jupiter, said "Who did that?"...But no one was around that he could point a finger at.

The green and the stone coal of wood-coloured stained by gold were too hot to handle, it said. Thus it let it cool, then stored him in a drawer.

But Walshon's neighbor, Mike Pollutro, is so certain the rock is a meteorite that he's e-mailed specialists to confirm it.

"So that no one assumes Walshon's local discovery rained from the planet of the same name, Pollutro pointedly refers to it as the "Jupiter, Fla." meteorite."

- Peter Krieger

Juptier's two red spots are about to collide...or at least close to it. According to NASA, around July 4th will be the closest approach of Red Spot Jr. and Red Spot Sr.



These spots, are in reality are the two biggest gas storms of the solar system. The largest storm has winds that blow over 350 miles per hour and has been around for hundreds of years. The smaller storm has been around for only 6 years, but has winds of the same speed. Check it out yourself...Jupiter is out early in the evening twilight, before any other star and quite bright. You can find it halfway up the southeastern sky at sunset.

My name is Peter Krieger and I live in Florida. I am an avid astronomer and look forward to posting many obsevations and information to this blog. Of particular interest to me is the Planet Jupiter. I have studies the big as giant for years and frequently view it in my observatory when it is visible in the sky. Stay tuned for more pictures and information...