NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Triton, Pluto and CharonOn the eve of the Voyager encounter with Neptune and Triton, the knowledge of the surface and atmosphere of the satellite has made some progress. Methane, and perhaps molecular nitrogen, appears to dominate the surface and atmospheric chemistry. Sketchy evidence suggests changes in the disposition and state of the volatile materials on this body in the past few years, perhaps in response to the extreme seasons. Pluto and its satellite Charon are at last revealed in some detail, chiefly resulting from observations of the mutual transits and occultations of 1985-1990. A stellar occultation by Pluto in 1988 has given the first detailed information on the planet's atmosphere. The density of the Pluto-Charon system indicates a bulk composition consisting of silicates and water ice, suggesting formation directly from the solar nebula.
Document ID
19900029027
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Cruikshank, D. P.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 14, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1990
Publication Information
Publication: Advances in Space Research
Volume: 10
Issue: 1, 19
ISSN: 0273-1177
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
90A16082
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

Available Downloads

There are no available downloads for this record.
No Preview Available