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Ganymede - Observations by radarRadar cross-section measurements indicate that Ganymede scatters to earth 12 percent of the power expected from a conducting sphere of the same size and distance. This compares with 8 percent for Mars, 12 percent for Venus, 6 percent for Mercury, and about 8 percent for the asteroid Toro. Furthermore, Ganymede is considerably rougher (to the scale of the wavelength used, 12.6 centimeters) than Mars, Venus, or Mercury. Roughness is made evident in this experiment by the presence of echoes away from the center of the disk. A perfectly smooth target would reflect only a glint from the center, whereas a very rough target would reflect power from over the entire disk.
Document ID
19750050428
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Goldstein, R. M.
Morris, G. A.
(California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena Calif., United States)
Date Acquired
August 8, 2013
Publication Date
June 20, 1975
Publication Information
Publication: Science
Volume: 188
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
75A34500
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS7-100
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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