File talk:Jupiter and Galilean moons.jpg

Please switch the labels for Europa and Io in this image. Io should be the closer one! Ontyx (talk) 03:41, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

From the Earth, the orbits of the Galilean moons are seen almost edge-on, or, to put it another way, Earth is approximately in the orbital plane of the moons. Therefore, a moon which is further from Jupiter may appear to be closer in a photograph taken from the Earth. Spacepotato (talk) 10:09, 25 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, but it is the author's own description of the image which says Io is closer: "from left to right: Callisto, Ganymede, Europa and Io." His description contradicts his labeling. Without additional information we have no way to know which is correct. If the labels in the image turn out to be correct, then the description is in error and should be fixed (both in English and Italian). I have said more on the Talk page for the Jupiter article. -- Ontyx (talk) 07:39, 26 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

According to the date and time in the Exif data in the original Flickr image, the picture was originally taken on Aug. 2, 2008, at 23:14:33. If the date and time are UTC-4, as appropriate for the location, then the location of the moons given by this or this web page for that time matches the labels in the image. So, I think that the image labels are correct and that, as you say, the description labels added by the uploader are wrong. Spacepotato (talk) 07:37, 27 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]

Excellent, thanks, I think you have provided sufficient evidence so I have gone ahead and corrected the descriptions on the Wikimedia page. -- Ontyx (talk) 07:04, 28 October 2014 (UTC)[reply]