Palomar observation reveals clouds on Neptune
October 18, 1999
Web posted at: 1:22 p.m. EDT (1722 GMT)
(CNN) -- Atmospheric features of the planet Neptune, including a cloud mass the size of Europe, are revealed in images of the planet taken by a new infrared camera on Palomar Observatory's Hale telescope.
The Neptune images represent the first attempt to conduct science with the Palomar High Angular Resolution Observer (PHARO), a camera built by Cornell researchers and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Previously, it has been impossible for terrestrial observations to detect fine detail on Neptune because of atmospheric disturbance and the planet's great distance from the earth.
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But the new camera employs an "adaptive" optics system that corrects the turbulence to produce images with a degree of detail approaching the theoretical limits of the Hale telescope, Cornell researchers said in a statement.
The system employs a mirror that is adjusted up to 500 times per second to correct atmospheric distortions.
The images show clearly defined clouds over the planet. Data obtained by PHARO's spectrometer will enable astronomers to do a detailed analysis of the clouds' composition and altitude and to measure the abundance of methane in Neptune's atmosphere, Cornell researchers said.
"Because of the excellent spatial resolution, we can determine the physical properties of individual cloud features and eventually learn something about the planet's atmospheric circulation," said Cornell astronomer Don Banfield.
Neptune, a mostly gaseous giant, is the eighth planet from the sun.
The next object to be studied using the new system will be Titan, the largest of Saturn's 18 known satellites.
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RELATED SITES:
NASA - Neptune
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