Albedo and atmospheric constraints of dwarf planet Makemake from a stellar occultation

in Nature (2012), 491

Pluto and Eris are icy dwarf planets with nearly identical sizes, comparable densities and similar surface compositions as revealed by spectroscopic studies. Pluto possesses an atmosphere whereas Eris ... [more ▼]

Pluto and Eris are icy dwarf planets with nearly identical sizes, comparable densities and similar surface compositions as revealed by spectroscopic studies. Pluto possesses an atmosphere whereas Eris does not; the difference probably arises from their differing distances from the Sun, and explains their different albedos. Makemake is another icy dwarf planet with a spectrum similar to Eris and Pluto, and is currently at a distance to the Sun intermediate between the two. Although Makemake's size (1,420+/-60km) and albedo are roughly known, there has been no constraint on its density and there were expectations that it could have a Pluto-like atmosphere. Here we report the results from a stellar occultation by Makemake on 2011 April 23. Our preferred solution that fits the occultation chords corresponds to a body with projected axes of 1,430+/-9km (1σ) and 1,502+/-45km, implying a V-band geometric albedo p[SUB]V[/SUB] = 0.77+/-0.03. This albedo is larger than that of Pluto, but smaller than that of Eris. The disappearances and reappearances of the star were abrupt, showing that Makemake has no global Pluto-like atmosphere at an upper limit of 4-12nanobar (1σ) for the surface pressure, although a localized atmosphere is possible. A density of 1.7+/-0.3gcm[SUP]-3[/SUP] is inferred from the data. [less ▲]

A Pluto-like radius and a high albedo for the dwarf planet Eris from an occultation

in Nature (2011), 478

The dwarf planet Eris is a trans-Neptunian object with an orbital eccentricity of 0.44, an inclination of 44 degrees and a surface composition very similar to that of Pluto. It resides at present at 95.7 ... [more ▼]

The dwarf planet Eris is a trans-Neptunian object with an orbital eccentricity of 0.44, an inclination of 44 degrees and a surface composition very similar to that of Pluto. It resides at present at 95.7 astronomical units (1AU is the Earth-Sun distance) from Earth, near its aphelion and more than three times farther than Pluto. Owing to this great distance, measuring its size or detecting a putative atmosphere is difficult. Here we report the observation of a multi-chord stellar occultation by Eris on 6 November 2010 UT. The event is consistent with a spherical shape for Eris, with radius 1,163+/-6kilometres, density 2.52+/-0.05 grams per cm[SUP]3[/SUP] and a high visible geometric albedo, . No nitrogen, argon or methane atmospheres are detected with surface pressure larger than ~1nanobar, about 10,000 times more tenuous than Pluto's present atmosphere. As Pluto's radius is estimated to be between 1,150 and 1,200 kilometres, Eris appears as a Pluto twin, with a bright surface possibly caused by a collapsed atmosphere, owing to its cold environment. We anticipate that this atmosphere may periodically sublimate as Eris approaches its perihelion, at 37.8 astronomical units from the Sun. [less ▲]

The stellar occultation by Makemake on 2011 April 23

in EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011, held 2-7 October 2011 in Nantes, France. <A href="http://meetings.copernicus.org/epsc-dps2011">http://meetings.copernicus.org/epsc-dps2011</A>, p.704 (2011, October 01)

We have taken advantage of a stellar occultation by the dwarf planet Makemake on 2011 April 23, to determine several of its main physical properties. We present results from a multisite campaign with 8 ... [more ▼]

We have taken advantage of a stellar occultation by the dwarf planet Makemake on 2011 April 23, to determine several of its main physical properties. We present results from a multisite campaign with 8 positive occultation detections from 5 different sites, including data from the 8-m VLT and 3.5-m NTT telescopes in Chile, which have very high temporal resolution. Because the star was significantly fainter than Makemake (setting a record in the magnitude of a star whose occultation has been detected), the occultation resulted in a drop of just ~0.3 mag in the lightcurves. From the lightcurves we have been able to determine the size and shape of the body, its geometric albedo and constraints on its atmosphere. [less ▲]

Stellar Occultation by Transneptunian Object (208996) 2003 AZ84

in Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams (2011), 2675

CBET 2675 available at Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams.

Occultation detection of a Neptune ring segment

in Journal of Geophysical Research. Supplement (1985, November 01), 90

A stellar occulation event of Neptune revealed a ring segment that was previously undetected. It appears that the object is not a complete ring, but rather a localized swarm of particles which follows a ... [more ▼]

A stellar occulation event of Neptune revealed a ring segment that was previously undetected. It appears that the object is not a complete ring, but rather a localized swarm of particles which follows a ring orbit over a limited range of longitudes. To avoid confusion with the standard use of the word ring it is suggested that the feature be called an arc. The distance of the arc zone is not precisely known because so far there has been no confirmed occultation by both an arc and the planet. [less ▲]

Occultation detection of a Neptune ring segment

in LPI Contributions (1985), 559

Not Available