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Pluto's atmosphereAirborne CCD photometer observations of Pluto's June 9, 1988 stellar occultation have yielded an occultation lightcurve, probing two regions on the sunrise limb 2000 km apart, which reveals an upper atmosphere overlying an extinction layer with an abrupt upper boundary. The extinction layer may surround the entire planet. Attention is given to a model atmosphere whose occultation lightcurve closely duplicates observations; fits of the model to the immersion and emersion lightcurves exhibit no significant derived atmosphere-structure differences. Assuming a pure methane atmosphere, surface pressures of the order of 3 microbars are consistent with the occultation data.
Document ID
19890040725
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Elliot, J. L.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Dunham, E. W.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Bosh, A. S.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Slivan, S. M.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Young, L. A.
(MIT Cambridge, MA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 14, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1989
Publication Information
Publication: Icarus
Volume: 77
ISSN: 0019-1035
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
89A28096
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSF AST-85-19518
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAG2-475
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSG-7526
CONTRACT_GRANT: NSG-7603
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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