Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufm.u21a0009o&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #U21A-0009
Physics
5464 Remote Sensing, 5475 Tectonics (8149), 5794 Instruments And Techniques, 6235 Mercury
Scientific paper
Limb images obtained during MESSENGER's first flyby of Mercury have been used to estimate the planet's radius and to study limb topographic relief. The mean radius (with approach and departure limbs both near longitude 215 deg E) was found to be r = 2439.94 km +/- 0.69 km, in agreement with the results from Mariner 10 occultations and Earth-based radar observations. Separate estimates for polar and equatorial radii are similar to within errors, suggesting that any planetary flattening is minor in comparison with the prevalent topography. The residual topography from our limb profiles shows a dynamic range of 7.8 km and a root- mean-square roughness of 0.75 km, in agreement with the characteristics of the near-equatorial laser altimeter profile and stereo topographic models obtained during the flyby. With new camera calibration measurements and additional limb images from MESSENGER's second Mercury flyby expected this fall, we expect that information on Mercury's size and global shape parameters will steadily improve.
Elgner Stephan
Oberst Jürgen
Robinson Michael
Solomon Sean
Zuber Maria
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