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Structure of the uranian upper atmosphere

Nature volume 282, pages 195–196 (1979)Cite this article

Abstract

Although the occultations of relatively bright stars by planets are rare events, they provide an important ground-based method for determining temperature, pressure and number density profiles of planetary upper atmospheres1. The technique is particularly valuable for planets in the outer Solar System, whose atmospheres have not yet been probed by spacecraft missions. Since the atmosphere of Uranus had not yet been investigated by the occultation technique, we have observed and report here the occultation of the star SAO158687 by Uranus on 10 March 1977 (refs 2, 3).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. South African Astronomical Observatory, C.P., Republic of South Africa

    J. Churms

  2. Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, and Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139

    J. L. Elliot & E. Dunham

Authors
  1. J. Churms
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  2. J. L. Elliot
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  3. E. Dunham
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Churms, J., Elliot, J. & Dunham, E. Structure of the uranian upper atmosphere. Nature 282, 195–196 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1038/282195a0

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