Photometry of Pluto-Charon mutual events and Hirayama family asteroids

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

Asteroid Belts, Asteroids, Astronomical Photometry, Charon, Occultation, Planetary Evolution, Pluto (Planet), Collisions, Telescopes

Scientific paper

Once every 124 years, nature provides earth-bound astronomers with the opportunity to observe occultation and transit phenomena between Pluto and its satellite, Charon. Ground-based observations of these events will allow precise physical parameters for the Pluto-Charon system to be derived which are unlikely to be improved upon until in situ spacecraft observations are obtained. The proposed program will continue to support photometry observations from McDonald Observatory, a critical location in an international Pluto Campaign network. Knowledge of the diameters, masses, densities, and compositions derived from these observations will augment our understanding of Pluto's origin and its context within the problem of solar system formation. A second task will continue to research the evolutionary processes which have occurred in the asteroid belt by measuring the physical properties of specific Hirayama family members. Photoelectric lightcurve observations of Koronis and Themis family members will be used to investigate the individual catastrophic collision events which formed each family. By comparing these properties with results of laboratory and numerical experiments, the outcomes of catastrophic disruptions and collisional evolution may be more precisely determined.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Photometry of Pluto-Charon mutual events and Hirayama family asteroids does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Photometry of Pluto-Charon mutual events and Hirayama family asteroids, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Photometry of Pluto-Charon mutual events and Hirayama family asteroids will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1696236

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.