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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Since some of you have become interested in Io,
Europa and their friends, you KNOW that we have an obvious resolution to the
"dispute" you describe. Just get someone (or soome computer) to do the
math I did 25 years ago, but now instead of calculating for 1996 events as I had
done, do it for the coming 2021 events. And then we can all WATCH with out
wristwatches ready. Again, I personallly do not see the events that
involve Ganymede and Calllisto as being as important, as the move slower in
larger orbits and they are physically larger. So my fascination remains
with Io and Europa, which "whiz" past each other, every few hours. In most
orbits, the shadow of one passes above or below the other and no
excitement. When the various Nodes are just right, a mutual total or
annular eclipse can occur. In my calculations, that seemed to only happen
about three times in the 1996 cycle, The information you have found seem
to suggest that only a handful of mutual Io/Europa total eclipses occurred
in 2009 and in 2015. But if somebody does accurate enough math for 2021,
we can all be looking through our telescopes or binoculars at the right
time. THEN, if we SEE a 900 second event, sobeit. Or however long it
would be seen to last, fine, but history has shown that VERY few astronomers
have ever seen these events, so someone need to do the (nasty) math to make sure
that WE can be added to that short list. I would LOVE to witness it, but I
am really too old now to abuse my brain as I did 25 years ago. Maybe I can
get Jan Meeus to do the math for 2021, but he is pretty old now
too.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Bonus: IF the prediction math is good enough,
say to the nearest thousandth of a second, and we each have equally accurate
wristwatches, we may also get a "one-way speed of light" as well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Carl Johnson</FONT> </DIV>
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