New and Improved Ephemerides of Nix and Hydra During the 1985 to 1990 Mutual Events Between Pluto and Charon

Details New and Improved Ephemerides of Nix and Hydra During the 1985 to 1990 Mutual Events Between Pluto and Charon New and Improved Ephemerides of Nix and Hydra During the 1985 to 1990 Mutual Events Between Pluto and Charon

Dec 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006aas...209.2510e&link_type=abstract

2007 AAS/AAPT Joint Meeting, American Astronomical Society Meeting 209, #25.10; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, V

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

Acknowledging the non-Keplerian orbits for the Plutonian moons Nix and Hydra due to significant perturbations by Charon, new ephemeris positions were calculated to assist with their detection in previous observations of the Pluto system. To compensate for unknown albedo and density, we varied their masses from 1.0x1016 kg to 2.5x1018 kg to allow for extremes of Pluto-like albedo and a water-ice density to comet-like albedo and Pluto-like density, respectively. New ephemeris positions of Nix and Hydra should allow us to identify them in stacked images from archival Hubble Space Telescope data. Also, the coplanar orbits of Nix, Hydra, and Charon result in a shared season of mutual events. In Pluto and Charon mutual event observations made between 1985 and 1990, Nix or Hydra mutual events with Pluto may have been unknowingly observed. Although mutual events between Nix or Hydra and Charon did occur, the focus of the observations during this time was on the events between Charon and Pluto. This situation makes for the possibility that there were observations of one of these Nix or Hydra and Charon events very remote.
Support for this work was provided by the National Science Foundation through the Research Experience for Undergraduates program at the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

New and Improved Ephemerides of Nix and Hydra During the 1985 to 1990 Mutual Events Between Pluto and Charon 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 New and Improved Ephemerides of Nix and Hydra During the 1985 to 1990 Mutual Events Between Pluto and Charon, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and New and Improved Ephemerides of Nix and Hydra During the 1985 to 1990 Mutual Events Between Pluto and Charon will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1156054