To visualize the orbits of the Galilean Moons around Jupiter I used 11 images, taken over the last few months.
Visualizing the orbits (using Matlab software):
Step 1: Rotated each image until the orbit of the Galilean Moons was horizontal.
Step 2: Determined the position of the visible moons by measuring the distance from Jupiter to each moon in each image in pixels.
Step 3: Plotted the data: x-axis: position of jupiter and the Galilean Moons in pixels, y-axis: date & time.
Example image: november 15, 2009.
Example image: October 13, 2009.
Calculating the orbits (using Matlab software):
Step 1: Using a sinus fit through the generated data, both the orbital diameter [pixels] and the orbital period [days] of all 4 Galilean Moons can be estimated:
Io:
Orbital diameter: 58 [pixels]
Obital period: 1.7637 [days]
Europa:
Orbital diameter: 94 [pixels]
Obital period: 3.5700 [days]
Ganymede:
Orbital diameter: 148 [pixels]
Obital period: 6.9810 [days]
Callisto:
Orbital diameter: 250 [pixels]
Obital period: 16.5347 [days]
