Resources: Find Jupiter's Moons App, Stellarium Web

Terminology: Semi-major axis

Exercises

To answer the questions in this section you will examine a set of images taken by the MACRO Robert L. Mutel Telescope (RLMT).  In this set of images, Jupiter was imaged five times over two days, so the Galilean moons can be seen at different points in their orbits.  You will need to use a tool to identify the moons, such as the Find Jupiter's Moons App.  In this app, you may input a date and time, then select "Calculate using entered date and time", and the positions of each moon relative to Jupiter will be shown, along with some additional information such as magnitude and distance.  Make sure you have "Direct View" selected, otherwise you may misidentify the moons.

Alternatively, you may opt to use Stellarium Web to identify the Galilean moons, though keep in mind that you must convert the time taken on the images from UTC to CST.

Credit: Zengineering