Large changes in Pluto's atmosphere as revealed by recent stellar occultations

被引：87

作者：

Sicardy, B ^{[1
]}

Widemann, T

Lellouch, E

Veillet, C

Cuillandre, JC

Colas, F

Roques, F

Beisker, W

Kretlow, M

Lagrange, AM

Gendron, E

Lacombe, F

Lecacheux, J

Birnbaum, C

Fienga, A

Leyrat, C

Maury, A

Raynaud, E

Renner, S

Schultheis, M

Brooks, K

Delsanti, A

Hainaut, OR

Gilmozzi, R

Lidman, C

Spyromilio, J

Rapaport, M

Rosenzweig, P

Naranjo, O

Porras, L

Diaz, F

Calderón, H

Carrillo, S

Carvajal, A

Recalde, E

Cavero, LG

Montalvo, C

Barria, D

Campos, R

Duffard, R

Levato, H

机构：

[1] Observ Paris, LESIA, F-92195 Meudon, France

[2] Univ Paris 06, F-75005 Paris, France

[3] Canada France Hawaii Telescope Corp, Waimea, HI 96743 USA

[4] Observ Paris, IMCCE, F-75014 Paris, France

[5] Int Occulat Timing Assoc, Eruopean Sect, D-30459 Hannover, Germany

[6] Observ Grenoble, F-38041 Grenoble, France

[7] Cite Sci & Ind, F-75930 Paris, France

[8] Gene Shoemaker Observ, San Pedro De Atacama, Chile

[9] Inst Astrophys Paris, F-75014 Paris, France

[10] European So Observ, Santiago 19, Chile

[11] Observ Aquitain Sci Univ, F-33270 Floirac, France

[12] Univ Los Andes, Fac Ciencias, Merida 5101, Venezuela

[13] Cumbaya, Quito 1722, Ecuador

[14] Asociac Eta Carinae, Lima 1, Peru

[15] Univ Catolica Norte, Observ Cerro Armazones, Antofagasta 1280, Chile

[16] Lab Nacl Astrofis, BR-37504364 Itajuba, Brazil

[17] Observ Nacl, BR-20921400 Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

[18] Complejo Astron, San Juan, Argentina

来源：

NATURE | 2003年 / 424卷 / 6945期

关键词：

D O I：

10.1038/nature01766

中图分类号：

O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];

学科分类号：

07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;

摘要：

Pluto's tenuous nitrogen atmosphere was first detected by the imprint left on the light curve of a star that was occulted by the planet in 1985 (ref. 1), and studied more extensively during a second occultation event in 1988 (refs 2 - 6). These events are, however, quite rare and Pluto's atmosphere remains poorly understood, as in particular the planet has not yet been visited by a spacecraft. Here we report data from the first occultations by Pluto since 1988. We find that, during the intervening 14 years, there seems to have been a doubling of the atmospheric pressure, a probable seasonal effect on Pluto.

引用

页码：168 / 170

页数：3

共 18 条

[1] THE 1985 STELLAR OCCULTATION BY PLUTO [J].