Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 4 July 1986:
Vol. 233. no. 4759, pp. 65 - 70
DOI: 10.1126/science.233.4759.65
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

Photometry from Voyager 2: Initial Results from the Uranian Atmosphere, Satellites, and Rings

ARTHUR L. LANE 1, CHARLES W. HORD 2, ROBERT A. WEST 1, LARRY W. ESPOSITO 2, KAREN E. SIMMONS 2, ROBERT M. NELSON 1, BRAD D. WALLIS 1, BONNIE J. BURATTI 1, LINDA J. HORN 1, AMARA L. GRAPS 2, and WAYNE R. PRYOR 2

1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109.
2 Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309.

The Voyager 2 photopolarimeter successfully completed the Uranus encounter, acquiring new data on the planet's atmosphere, its principal satellites, and its ring system. Spatially resolved photometry of the atmosphere at 0.27 micrometer shows no enhancement in absorption toward the pole, unlike the case for Jupiter and Saturn. Stellar occultation measurements indicate the temperature at the 1-millibar level over the north pole is near 90 kelvins. The geometric albedos of the five large satellites of Uranus were measured at 0.27 and 0.75 micrometer and indicate the presence of low albedo, spetrally flat absorbing material. Titania seems to have a fluffy surface, as indicated by its phase curve. The nine ground-based rings were detected, and their internal structure, optical depths, and positions were determined. The sharp edges of the isin ring made it possible to measure its edge thickness (less than 150 meters) and particle sizes (less than 30 meters); little or no dust was detcted. New narrow rings and partial rings (arcs) were measured, and the narrow component of the eegr ring was found to be discontinuous.

Submitted on March 31, 1986
Accepted on May 5, 1986


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Voyager 2 at Neptune: Imaging Science Results.
B. A. Smith, B. A. Smith, L. A. Soderblom, D. Banfield, c. Barnet, A. T. Basilevsky, R. F. Beebe, K. Bollinger, J. M. Boyce, A. Brahic, et al. (1989)
Science 246, 1422-1449
   Abstract »    PDF »
Photometry from Voyager 2: Initial Results from the Neptunian Atmosphere, Satellites, and Rings.
A. L. Lane, A. L. Lane, R. A. West, C. W. Hord, R. M. Nelson, K. E. Simmons, W. R. Pryor, L. W. Eposito, L. J. Horn, B. D. Wallis, et al. (1989)
Science 246, 1450-1454
   Abstract »    PDF »
Voyager 2 in the Uranian System: Imaging Science Results.
B. A. Smith, B. A. SMITH, L. A. SODERBLOM, R. BEEBE, D. BLISS, J. M. BOYCE, A. BRAHIC, G. A. BRIGGS, R. H. BROWN, S. A. COLLINS, et al. (1986)
Science 233, 43-64
   Abstract »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)