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Here is a table of tidal forces of the Sun, Moon, and Planets. With the Sun's tidal force equal to 1.00, the following values are given in Thompson (1981):
Moon 2.21
Sun 1.00
Venus 0.000113
Jupiter 0.0000131
Steadily-held, good quality binoculars or a small telescope will show Jupiter as a small white disk; its four brightest natural satellites (moons) - Ganymede (magnitude +4.6 at opposition), Io (+5.0), Europa (+5.3) and Callisto (+5.6) - can also be seen close by, changing their positions from one night to the next. The four moons are brighter than the typical naked eye limiting magnitude (ca. +6.0) and they would be visible to the unaided eye were it not for the fact that their close proximity to Jupiter causes them to be washed out by the glare of Jupiter itself. Sometimes only two or three moons will be seen on a given night - in which case, the remainder are either in front of, or behind, the giant planet.
Jupiter's Southern Equatorial Belt [SEB] faded from view during the first half of 2010; consequently, only the Northern Equatorial Belt [NEB] is visible through telescopes at the present time. Fadings of the SEB occur at irregular intervals, the last occasion having been in the early 1990s. It is not known when the Belt will return to view. See Sky & Telescope for more details).
Originally posted by css1981
I have actualy taken the time to read the entire thread.... and still I am missing the point....