Search Publications
Star catalog position and proper motion corrections in asteroid astrometry II: The Gaia era
Eggl, Siegfried; Chesley, Steven R.; Farnocchia, Davide +1 more
Astrometric positions of moving objects in the Solar System have been measured using a variety of star catalogs in the past. Previous work has shown that systematic errors in star catalogs can affect the accuracy of astrometric observations. That, in turn, can influence the resulting orbit fits for minor planets. In order to quantify these systema…
Seasonal changes in the middle atmosphere of Titan from Cassini/CIRS observations: Temperature and trace species abundance profiles from 2004 to 2017
Bézard, Bruno; Vinatier, Sandrine; Jennings, Donald E. +6 more
The Cassini/Composite InfraRed Spectrometer (CIRS) instrument has been observing the middle atmosphere of Titan over almost half a Saturnian year. We used the CIRS dataset processed through the up-to-date calibration pipeline to characterize seasonal changes of temperature and abundance profiles in the middle atmosphere of Titan, from mid-northern…
Colour and tropospheric cloud structure of Jupiter from MUSE/VLT: Retrieving a universal chromophore
Fletcher, Leigh N.; Irwin, Patrick G. J.; Orton, Glenn S. +1 more
Recent work by Sromovsky et al. (2017) suggested that all red colour in Jupiter's atmosphere could be explained by a single colour-carrying compound, a so-called 'universal chromophore'. We tested this hypothesis on ground-based spectroscopic observations in the visible and near-infrared (480-930 nm) from the VLT/MUSE instrument between 2014 and 2…
Time variability of the Enceladus plumes: Orbital periods, decadal periods, and aperiodic change
Ingersoll, Andrew P.; Ewald, Shawn P.; Trumbo, Samantha K.
The Enceladus plumes vary on a number of timescales. Tidal stresses as Enceladus revolves in its eccentric orbit lead to a periodic diurnal variation in the mass and velocity of solid particles in the plume. Tidal stresses associated with an orbital resonance with Dione lead to a periodic decadal variation. Aperiodic variations occur on time scale…
Color and aerosol changes in Jupiter after a North Temperate Belt disturbance
Sánchez-Lavega, A.; Pérez-Hoyos, S.; Irwin, P. G. J. +5 more
The banded appearance of Jupiter's atmosphere shows significant changes over time, sometimes even transforming the reflectivity of a whole latitudinal band in a few weeks, and staying for years with an aspect different from the usual one. The origin of some of these disturbances may be associated with the creation and destruction of the chromophor…
Observations and numerical modelling of a convective disturbance in a large-scale cyclone in Jupiter's South Temperate Belt
Hansen, C. J.; Hueso, R.; Sánchez-Lavega, A. +8 more
Moist convective storms in Jupiter develop frequently and can trigger atmospheric activity of different scales, from localized storms to planetary-scale disturbances including convective activity confined inside a larger meteorological system. In February 2018 a series of convective storms erupted in Jupiter's South Temperate Belt (STB) (planetoce…
Titan's neutral atmosphere seasonal variations up to the end of the Cassini mission
Flasar, F. M.; Lavvas, P.; Coustenis, A. +4 more
In this paper we report new results concerning the seasonal atmospheric evolution near Titan's poles and equator in terms of temperature and composition using nadir spectra acquired by the Cassini Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) at high spectral resolution during the last year of the Cassini mission in 2017 complementing previous investigat…
Present-day gully activity in Sisyphi Cavi, Mars - Flow-like features and block movements
Massé, Marion; Conway, Susan J.; Hiesinger, Harald +5 more
The continuously increasing number of multi-temporal high-resolution images from the surface of Mars offers the possibility for detailed studies of present-day surface activity. In this study we investigated all gullies in the Sisyphi Cavi region (355° E, 71° S) of the south polar region of Mars. This region is influenced by the seasonal depositio…
The small inner satellites of Saturn: Shapes, structures and some implications
Thomas, P.; Helfenstein, P.
Properties of the small inner satellites of Saturn are updated using final Cassini image data. The equatorial ridges on Pan and Atlas are morphologically, structurally, and gravitationally distinct from their cores and represent distinct additions to, rather than modifications of, the precursor bodies. Exposures of lineated substrates on Pandora a…
Spectral and emissivity analysis of the raised ramparts around Titan's northern lakes
Rodriguez, S.; Soderblom, J. M.; Janssen, M. A. +18 more
Some of Titan's small northern hemisphere lakes show raised rampart features (which are distinct from raised rims), and appear as SAR-bright mound-like annuli extending away from the lake for up to tens of kilometers from the shoreline. We investigate the infrared and microwave characteristics of these features using Cassini Visual and Infrared Ma…