The surface and atmosphere of Pluto
1980; Elsevier BV; Volume: 41; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1016/0019-1035(80)90162-1
ISSN1090-2643
AutoresD. P. Cruikshank, P. M. Silvaggio,
Tópico(s)Space Exploration and Technology
ResumoA new spectrum of Pluto in the region 1.4 to 1.9 μm provides confirmation of the presence of solid methane on the planet's surface. Considerations of vapor pressure of methane gas above the solid indicate the presence of a tenuous atmosphere of this gas, the surface partial pressure of which is variable from perihelion to aphelion. The implication of a high surface albedo, the newly derived mass of Pluto, and inferences as to the range of plausible bulk mean densities, indicate that the radius of Pluto should lie in the range 1200 to 1800 km.
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