A continued program of planetary study at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory

Details A continued program of planetary study at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory A continued program of planetary study at the University of Texas McDonald Observatory

Sep 1986

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1986plas.rept...55s&link_type=abstract

In NASA, Washington Reports of Planetary Astronomy, 1985 p 55-56 (SEE N87-12407 03-89)

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Charon, Planetary Composition, Planetary Evolution, Planetary Structure, Pluto (Planet), Carbon Isotopes, Cometary Atmospheres, Cyanides, Eclipses, Giacobini-Zinner Comet, Halley'S Comet, Io, Methane

Scientific paper

The beginning of eclipses of the Pluto-Charon system was detected. The onset of coma formation of P/Halley at 5.4 au was detected and evidence of sublimation at 4.8 au when CN emission was detected. Extensive spatial maps of the gas in the comae of comets Halley and Giacobini-Zinner were obtained in fall 1985. Halley was time variable, and Giacobini-Zinner was depleted in C2 and C3 relative to CN. Comet Kopff was shown to have a pre-perihelion brightness maximum of its gas, consistent with mantle development if the comet is a high obliquity object. New Haser model scale lengths for CN, C3, and C2 were determined using results from the Faint Comet Survey. Spectra of 12 asteroids in unusual orbits showed no evidence of any comet-like emission features. In particular, 3200 Phaethon (1983 TB) has no gas or dust coma, in spite of the similarity of its orbit with the Geminid meteor stream. Data were analyzed on Saturn's H2 and CH4 bands for the recent southern summer using a Tomasko-Doose type of haze distribution. This haze model fits the data moderately well, giving a CH4 mixing ratio of (4.2 + or 0.4)x003. Simple functions were found to approximate the collision-induced rotation-translation thermal opacity of H2.

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