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The distribution of water frost on CharonWe present high-spatial-resolution imaging observations of the Pluto-Charon system taken with ProtoCAM on the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). Our dataset consists of measurements from eight nights at widely separated rotational longitudes and covering five wavelengths -- standard J, H, and K, plus two special narrow band filters at 1.5 and 1.75 microns. The relative flux contributions of Pluto and Charon were extracted, when possible, by fitting a two-source Gaussian image model to the observed images. At K, we find the Charon-Pluto magnitude difference to be on average 1.8 mag, somewhat less than the value of 2.2 mag found by Bosh et al. (1992). The average differential magnitude at 1.5 and 1.75 microns is 2.0 and 1.6, respectively. The larger magnitude difference at 1.5 microns is due to a water-frost absorption band on the surface of Charon. Our observations are consistent with a surface of Charon dominated by water frost at all longitudes.
Document ID
19950030755
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Buie, Marc W.
(Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ United States)
Shriver, Scott K.
(Stanford University Stanford, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 16, 2013
Publication Date
April 1, 1994
Publication Information
Publication: ICARUS
Volume: 108
Issue: 2 pt
ISSN: 0019-1035
Subject Category
Astronomy
Accession Number
95A62354
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-2880
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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