Publication Date:
2019-06-27
Description:
Observations of Saturn's rings during passage of the Earth through the ring plane, coupled with those of others, suggest a ring thickness of 1.3 plus or minus 0.3 km. The wide disparity in the optical depth of Cassini's division found by other investigators is resolved, and for conservative isotropic single scattering, a normal optical depth for Cassini's division of 0.060 plus or minus 0.006 is obtained. We find the mean normal optical depth of ring C to be 0.074 plus or minus 0.007. Analysis of all available observations of faint objects near Saturn indicates the presence of at least one previously undiscovered satellite of Saturn. The orbit for Janus determined by Dollfus is supported. These satellites may be major members of an extended ring.
Keywords:
LUNAR AND PLANETARY EXPLORATION
Type:
Icarus; 36; Oct. 197
Format:
text
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