P54A-04
Photometric Properties of Pluto and Charon: Comparison to Other Bodies

Friday, 18 December 2015: 16:42
2007 (Moscone West)
Bonnie J Buratti1, Alan Stern2, Harold A Weaver Jr3, Leslie Ann Young4, Kimberly Ennico Smith5, Thomas Momary1, Amanda Marie Zangari4, Richard P Binzel6 and New Horizons Geology and Geophysics Investigation, (1)NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States, (2)Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO, United States, (3)Applied Physics Laboratory Johns Hopkins, Laurel, MD, United States, (4)Southwest Research Institute Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States, (5)NASA Ames, Moffet Field, CA, United States, (6)MIT Rm 54-410, Cambridge, MA, United States
Abstract:
The New Horizons spacecraft provided the first detailed views of the photometric properties of Pluto and Charon, and how these properties relate to geophysical processes. Among the first results are the distribution of albedo on the surfaces of both bodies, and the surface phase function for both high- and low-albedo regions of Pluto, which yields information on macroscopic roughness and particle properties. The highest albedos on Pluto are similar to those of the bright icy moons of Saturn and Jupiter. The range of albedos on Pluto is surprisingly large, surpassed only by Saturn’s moon Iapetus. Charon has a more limited range, with a bifurcated distribution. The disk-integrated phase function of Pluto is similar to those of the icy moons of Saturn. The geologic implications of these results will be discussed.

Funded by NASA

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