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[43.03] Pluto-Charon: Infrared Reflectance from 3.6 to 8.0 Micrometers

D. P. Cruikshank (NASA Ames Research Center), J. P. Emery (SETI Inst., NASA Ames), J. A. Stansberry (Steward Obs., U. Ariz.), J. E. Van Cleve (Ball Aerospace)

We have measured the spectral reflectance of the Pluto-Charon pair at 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8.0 micrometers with the Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) (G. G. Fazzio et al. Ap.J.Supp. 154, 10-17, 2004) on the Spitzer Space Telescope (STS), at eight different longitudes that cover a full rotation of the planet. STS does not have sufficient resolution to separate the light from the planet and the satellite. The image of the Pluto-Charon pair is clearly visible at each of the four wavelengths. We will discuss the spectral reflectance in terms of models that include the known components of Pluto and Charon’s surfaces, and evidence for diurnal variations. Supported by the Spitzer Science Center.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 #4
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.