SATURN'S SPOTS UPDATE

Hi all,

Attached is the update of Saturn's major cloud features tracked at
latitudes -42 deg and -29 deg from the IOPW and ALPO-Japan imaging
archives including the HST observations on 25 August and 5 December 2003.
Note that some spots are long-lived (two at -29 deg and a feature W1 at
-42 deg).

Attached are also three images obtained with the HST on 5 December (from
top to bottom at wavelengths: 439 nm, 675 nm, and 890 nm -methane band-).
The bright spot at -42 deg is W1 (the long-lived one) and shows a "double
spot" structure. The other -42 bright spot was transient (just 10 days)
and was not captured by the HST.  The dark spot in the 675 nm image at -75
deg was probably observed on August, and could be detected under very good
seen with a red filter with 30 - 40 cm telescopes. The activity at -29 deg
is prominent but its aspect depend on the filter (as most Saturn
features).

Next HST series will be taken from 31 December to 4 January. We urge all
the IOPW and ALPO Japan team observers to make an effort around these
days, since this will be the first series in 2003 to make features 
tracking in HST images.

Good observations!

Agustin