Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
May 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009aas...21423903j&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #214, #239.03; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 41, p.742
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
During the past three years we have carried out a series of astrometric VLBA observations of the Cassini spacecraft. At each epoch, we used phase referencing to obtain high precision relative positions between Cassini and an angularly nearby calibration source. The calibration sources were separately tied to nearby defining sources of the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF) through additional phase-referenced VLBA experiments. By combining our position measurements of Cassini with a model of Cassini's orbit around Saturn (from Doppler measurements by the Deep Space Network), we are able to determine the ICRF position of Saturn at each epoch to about 0.3 mas. This is about 2 km at the average distance of Saturn. These results will improve the Saturn ephemeris, particularly in ecliptic latitude (the plane of Saturn's orbit). The error in latitude decreases dramatically as the total time span of VLBA data approaches 1/4 of Saturn's orbital period in 2011-2012. Saturn is the first outer planet whose ephemeris can be improved and more closely tied to the ICRF and the inner solar system through long-term observations of an orbiter. The planned Juno mission to Jupiter will allow this technique to be applied there also. The planetary ephemeris is an essential tool for studies of solar system dynamics, interplanetary spacecraft navigation, and test of general relativity. It requires continuous maintenance and improvement. This research has been carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and has relied on observations by the Very Long Baseline Array, a facility of the National Science Foundation operated by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory under a cooperative agreement with Associated Universities, Inc.
Border Jamess.
Dhawan Vivek
Folkner B.
Fomalont Ed
Jacobson Brian
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