Publication: Georgia Journal of Science
Publication Date: 22-JUN-05
Delivery: Immediate Online Access
Author: Schmude, Richard, Jr.
Article Excerpt
ABSTRACT
The writer made 60 photometric measurements of Saturn + rings between Nov. 5, 2004 and Jan. 21, 2005. The normalized magnitudes of Saturn for a ring tilt angle of 22[degrees] are: B(1,0) = -8.55 [+ or -] 0.01, V(1,0) = -9.60 [+ or -] 0.01, B(1,0) = -10.27 [+ or -] 0.01 and I (1,0) = -10.47 [+ or -] 0.01; the corresponding solar phase angle coefficients are: [c.sub.B] = 0.027 [+ or -] 0.006, [c.sub.V] = 0.021 [+ or -] 0.005, [c.sub.B] = 0.020 [+ or -] 0.005 and [c.sub.B] = 0.022 [+ or -] 0.005. The 2005 opposition surge values (in magnitudes at [alpha] = 0[degrees]) are: B = 0.24 [+ or -] 0.05, V = 0.18 [+ or -] 0.05, R = 0.16 [+ or -] 0.05 and I = 0.27 [+ or -] 0.05.
Key Words: Saturn, photoelectric photometry, opposition surge
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INTRODUCTION
During the past year, several important Saturn studies have been carried out. Munoz and co-workers (1), for example, report that Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images at different wavelengths are consistent with two haze layers in Saturn's atmosphere. They suggest that the altitudes of the haze layers change with Saturn's seasons. McGhee and co-workers (2) analyzed almost three dozen HST images made between 1996 and 2004 and found that the contrast of ring spokes was highest at low ring tilt angles. They go on to show that their data are consistent with the spokes being caused by meteoritic impacts. In a third study, de Pater and co-workers (3) confirm that Saturn's E-ring has a blue color whereas Saturn's G-ring has a red color; these colors appear to be unrelated to Saturn's seasons. In another study, Verbiscer and co-workers (4) used HST data to compute opposition surge values of Saturn's moon Enceladus at several wavelengths. The opposition surge value is a non-linear increase in the brightness of an object when it is near opposition. Whole-disc brightness measurements made over several years may yield information on seasonal changes in Saturn's haze layers, ring spokes and ring color. Opposition surge measurements of Saturn may...
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