Solid methane on Triton and Pluto - 3- to 4-micron spectrophotometry

Journal Article · Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(90)90096-R· OSTI ID:5974727

Spencer, J R; Buie, M W; Bjoraker, G L ^[1]

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1. Hawaii Univ., Honolulu (USA) Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD (USA) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (USA)

Methane has been identified in the Pluto/Charon system on the basis of absorption features in the reflectance spectrum at 1.5 and 2.3 microns; attention is presently given to observations of a 3.25 micron-centered deep absorption feature in Triton and Pluto/Charon system reflectance spectra. This absorption may indicate the presence of solid methane, constituting either the dominant surface species or a mixture with a highly transparent substance, such as N2 frost. 35 refs.

• OSTI ID: 5974727
• Journal Information: Icarus (International Journal of the Solar System); (USA), Vol. 88; ISSN 0019-1035
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
NEPTUNE PLANET
SATELLITES
PLUTO PLANET
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
METHANE
PLANETARY ATMOSPHERES
SPECTRAL REFLECTANCE
SURFACES
VOYAGER SPACE PROBES
ALKANES
ATMOSPHERES
HYDROCARBONS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLANETS
SPACE VEHICLES
VEHICLES
640107* - Astrophysics & Cosmology- Planetary Phenomena