Mapping Vesta in the Visible and Near-Infrared: The 1994 and 1996 Oppositions as Viewed from the Ground

Details Mapping Vesta in the Visible and Near-Infrared: The 1994 and 1996 Oppositions as Viewed from the Ground Mapping Vesta in the Visible and Near-Infrared: The 1994 and 1996 Oppositions as Viewed from the Ground

Jan 1996

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996eiaf.conf....7d&link_type=abstract

Workshop on Evolution of Igneous Asteroids: Focus on Vesta and the HED Meterorites, p. 7

Physics

Optics

Vesta Asteroid, Adaptive Optics, Mapping, Hubble Space Telescope, Infrared Telescopes, Pyroxenes, Albedo, Galileo Spacecraft, Imaging Techniques, Mineralogy

Scientific paper

Until recently it was not possible to directly image and resolve any asteroids from the ground.This situation was mainly due to the limitation imposed by the atmospheric turbulences to resolve any subarcsecond object. High-resolution observations of asteroid surfaces were then obtained from speckle interferometry and radar imaging as well as direct imaging from space: The Galileo spacecraft made two successful flybys of asteroids 951 Gaspra and 243 Ida and Hubble Space Telescope observed 4 Vesta during the 1994 opposition. Adaptive optics (AO) is radically changing this situation: Correcting the effects of the atmospheric turbulences, it restores the full theoretical resolving power of a telescope. Details on the surface of the largest asteroids can be imaged from the ground in the near-infrared and visible; these are the optimal wavelength ranges because the gain in resolution obtained with AO is maximal and they contain most of the spectral signatures of the minerals. Vesta is certainly the most interesting asteroid to be observed with AO since it is the only large minor planet showing substantial hemispherical albedo variations We will present the results of the two last Vesta oppositions observed using telescopes equipped with AO.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Mapping Vesta in the Visible and Near-Infrared: The 1994 and 1996 Oppositions as Viewed from the Ground 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 Mapping Vesta in the Visible and Near-Infrared: The 1994 and 1996 Oppositions as Viewed from the Ground, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Mapping Vesta in the Visible and Near-Infrared: The 1994 and 1996 Oppositions as Viewed from the Ground will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-970296