This talk was about Jupiter and its satellites by one of our regular speakers, Jerry Workman. The Jupiter system is perhaps the most interesting place in the solar system showing a huge and totally unexpected variety of geology and environments, from the massive and very variable weather systems of Jupiter itself, to the four billion year icy calm of Callisto.

This was a lively and very informative presentation with a wealth of detail about the planet itself and on the fascinating Gallilean satellites. The sheer scale and variety of the Jovian system is impressive and Jerry brought this out very well starting with the fact that Jupiter is eleven times the diameter of the earth and with thirteen hundred times the volume and ending with colourful little Io, the most volcanic place in the solar system, being constantly squeezed and kneaded by its giant parent. On the way he dealt with what little knowledge we have of the Jovian atmosphere from the Galileo atmospheric probe and the huge anticyclone we know as the Great Red Spot (I wonder what the Jovelings call it!).

Jerry had a lot of slides and the fascinating surface structure of Ganymede was shown and discussed in some detail. Europa was naturally given considerable attention, as it is the only other place in the solar system (as far as we know) that currently has large bodies of liquid water and therefore the possibility of harbouring life, although this reviewer is of the opinion that Jupiter itself is a more likely place to find interesting lifeforms.

All in all an excellent introduction to the Jovian system but we must do something about that slide projector!

- Stan Waterman