Space Weather News for April 13, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

RADIO STORMS ON JUPITER: On April 11th, an amateur radio astronomer
in New Mexico heard loud pops and crackles coming from the loudspeaker
of his shortwave receiver. The sounds resembled terrestrial
lightning, but the source was not on Earth. It was a radio storm on
Jupiter. You can listen to the sounds on today's edition of
http://spaceweather.com .

Astronomers have long known that Jupiter produces strong shortwave
radio bursts detectable from Earth; the fact of Jupiter's "radio
activity" is not news. However, now may be the best time in decades to
listen to the giant planet. The sun is in the pits of a century-level
solar minimum. Low solar activity increases the transparency of
Earth's atmosphere to shortwave radio waves, allowing signals from
Jupiter to more easily and clearly reach the ground. At the same
time, terrestrial radio interference subsides (another side-effect of
solar minimum), so Jupiter bursts are easier to identify.

2009 is going to be a good year for Jupiter. The planet is moving
away from the sun and may now be seen shining brightly in the eastern
sky before dawn. Students, teachers and amateur scientists who wish
to try listening as well as watching should consider building their
own radio telescope. Kits are available from NASA's Radio JOVE
program: http://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov/