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

B. Sicardy; T. Widemann; E. Lellouch; C. Veillet; J. -C. Cuillandre; F. Colas; F. Roques; W. Beisker; M. Kretlow; A. -M. Lagrange; E. Gendron; F. Lacombe; J. Lecacheux; C. Birnbaum; A. Fienga; C. Leyrat; A. Maury; E. Raynaud; S. Renner; M. Schultheis; K. Brooks; A. Delsanti; O. R. Hainaut; R. Gilmozzi; C. Lidman; J. Spyromilio; M. Rapaport; P. Rosenzweig; O. Naranjo; L. Porras; F. Díaz; H. Calderón; S. Carrillo; A. Carvajal; E. Recalde; L. Gaviria Cavero; C. Montalvo; D. Barría; R. Campos; R. Duffard; H. Levato

doi:10.1038/nature01766

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

B. Sicardy, T. Widemann, E. Lellouch, C. Veillet, J. -C. Cuillandre, F. Colas, F. Roques, W. Beisker, M. Kretlow, A. -M. Lagrange, E. Gendron, F. Lacombe, J. Lecacheux, C. Birnbaum, A. Fienga, C. Leyrat, A. Maury, E. Raynaud, S. Renner, M. SchultheisK. Brooks, A. Delsanti, O. R. Hainaut, R. Gilmozzi, C. Lidman, J. Spyromilio, M. Rapaport, P. Rosenzweig, O. Naranjo, L. Porras, F. Díaz, H. Calderón, S. Carrillo, A. Carvajal, E. Recalde, L. Gaviria Cavero, C. Montalvo, D. Barría, R. Campos, R. Duffard, H. Levato

Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

99 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	168-170
Number of pages	3
Journal	Nature
Volume	424
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01766
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2003

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10.1038/nature01766

https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2003Natur.424..168S

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Sicardy, B., Widemann, T., Lellouch, E., Veillet, C., Cuillandre, J. .-C., Colas, F., Roques, F., Beisker, W., Kretlow, M., Lagrange, A. .-M., Gendron, E., Lacombe, F., Lecacheux, J., Birnbaum, C., Fienga, A., Leyrat, C., Maury, A., Raynaud, E., Renner, S., ... Levato, H. (2003). Large changes in Pluto's atmosphere as revealed by recent stellar occultations. Nature, 424, 168-170. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01766

@article{9bc04a6ffe8c416bb2d8b63e06f4dd1d,

title = "Large changes in Pluto's atmosphere as revealed by recent stellar occultations",

abstract = "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.",

author = "B. Sicardy and T. Widemann and E. Lellouch and C. Veillet and Cuillandre, \{J. -C.\} and F. Colas and F. Roques and W. Beisker and M. Kretlow and Lagrange, \{A. -M.\} and E. Gendron and F. Lacombe and J. Lecacheux and C. Birnbaum and A. Fienga and C. Leyrat and A. Maury and E. Raynaud and S. Renner and M. Schultheis and K. Brooks and A. Delsanti and Hainaut, \{O. R.\} and R. Gilmozzi and C. Lidman and J. Spyromilio and M. Rapaport and P. Rosenzweig and O. Naranjo and L. Porras and F. D{\'i}az and H. Calder{\'o}n and S. Carrillo and A. Carvajal and E. Recalde and Cavero, \{L. Gaviria\} and C. Montalvo and D. Barr{\'i}a and R. Campos and R. Duffard and H. Levato",

year = "2003",

month = jul,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1038/nature01766",

language = "English",

volume = "424",

pages = "168--170",

journal = "Nature",

issn = "0028-0836",

publisher = "Nature Research",

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Sicardy, B, Widemann, T, Lellouch, E, Veillet, C, Cuillandre, J-C, Colas, F, Roques, F, Beisker, W, Kretlow, M, Lagrange, A-M, 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, Díaz, F, Calderón, H, Carrillo, S, Carvajal, A, Recalde, E, Cavero, LG, Montalvo, C, Barría, D, Campos, R, Duffard, R & Levato, H 2003, 'Large changes in Pluto's atmosphere as revealed by recent stellar occultations', Nature, vol. 424, pp. 168-170. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01766

TY - JOUR

T1 - Large changes in Pluto's atmosphere as revealed by recent stellar occultations

AU - Sicardy, B.

AU - Widemann, T.

AU - Lellouch, E.

AU - Veillet, C.

AU - Cuillandre, J. -C.

AU - Colas, F.

AU - Roques, F.

AU - Beisker, W.

AU - Kretlow, M.

AU - Lagrange, A. -M.

AU - Gendron, E.

AU - Lacombe, F.

AU - Lecacheux, J.

AU - Birnbaum, C.

AU - Fienga, A.

AU - Leyrat, C.

AU - Maury, A.

AU - Raynaud, E.

AU - Renner, S.

AU - Schultheis, M.

AU - Brooks, K.

AU - Delsanti, A.

AU - Hainaut, O. R.

AU - Gilmozzi, R.

AU - Lidman, C.

AU - Spyromilio, J.

AU - Rapaport, M.

AU - Rosenzweig, P.

AU - Naranjo, O.

AU - Porras, L.

AU - Díaz, F.

AU - Calderón, H.

AU - Carrillo, S.

AU - Carvajal, A.

AU - Recalde, E.

AU - Cavero, L. Gaviria

AU - Montalvo, C.

AU - Barría, D.

AU - Campos, R.

AU - Duffard, R.

AU - Levato, H.

PY - 2003/7/1

Y1 - 2003/7/1

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

U2 - 10.1038/nature01766

DO - 10.1038/nature01766

M3 - Article

SN - 0028-0836

VL - 424

SP - 168

EP - 170

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

ER -

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

Abstract

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