Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager on New Horizons

Cheng, A. F.; Weaver, H. A.; Conard, Steven J.; Morgan, M. F.; Barnouin, Olivier S.; Boldt, J.; Cooper, Kim A.; Darlington, E. H.; Grey, M. P.; Hayes, J. R.; Kosakowski, K. E.; Magee, Thomas C.; Rossano, E.; Sampath, Deepak; Schlemm, C. E.; Taylor, H. W.

doi:10.1007/s11214-007-9271-6

Cited by 153 publications

(131 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Data from the Linear Etalon Imaging Spectral Array (LEISA) and Multi-spectral Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) provided global views of composition, albedo, color and geology on Pluto (Reuter et al, 2008;Stern, 2010). In addition, the Long-Range Reconnaisance Imager (LORRI, Cheng et al (2008)) provided albedo and limited geologic information at long ranges, particularly of Pluto's Charon-facing hemisphere, which was also not visible at New Horizons' closest approach. In this study, we used previously published maps created from LEISA data to create new global maps of Pluto's nitrogenice deposits.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and energy balance of Pluto’s nitrogen ice, as seen by New Horizons in 2015

Lewis

Stansberry

Holler

et al. 2021

Icarus

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Pluto's surface is geologically complex because of volatile ices that are mobile on seasonal and longer time scales. Here we analyzed New Horizons LEISA spectral data to globally map the nitrogen ice, including nitrogen with methane diluted in it. Our goal was to learn about the seasonal processes influencing ice redistribution, to calculate the globally averaged energy balance, and to place a lower limit on Pluto's N 2 inventory. We present the average latitudinal distribution of nitrogen and investigate the relationship between its distribution and topography on Pluto by using maps that include the shifted bands of methane in solid solution with nitrogen (which are much stronger than the 2.15-µm nitrogen band) to more completely map the distribution of the nitrogen ice. We find that the global average bolometric albedo is 0.83 ± 0.11, similar to that inferred for Triton, and that a significant fraction of Pluto's N 2 is stored in Sputnik Planitia. We also used the encounter-hemisphere distribution of nitrogen ice to infer the latitudinal distribution of nitrogen over the rest of Pluto, allowing us to calculate the global energy balance. Under the assumption that Pluto's nitrogen-dominated 11.5 µbar atmosphere is in vapor pressure equilibrium with the nitrogen ice, the ice temperature is 36.93 ± 0.10 K, as measured by New Horizons' REX instrument. Combined with our global energy balance calculation, this implies that the average bolometric emissivity of Pluto's nitrogen ice is probably in the range 0.47 -0.72. This is consistent with the low emissivities estimated for Triton based on Voyager results, and may have implications for Pluto's atmospheric seasonal variations, as discussed below. The global pattern of volatile transport at the time of the encounter was from north to south, and the transition between condensation and sublimation within Sputnik Planitia is correlated with changes in the grain size and CH 4 concentration derived from the spectral maps. The low emissivity of Pluto's N 2 ice suggests that Pluto's atmosphere may undergo an extended period of constant pressure even as Pluto recedes from the Sun in its orbit.1

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and energy balance of Pluto’s nitrogen ice, as seen by New Horizons in 2015

Lewis

Stansberry

Holler

et al. 2021

Icarus

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“…Initial results from this flyby (1) were based on early data downlinked from the spacecraft. Since then, additional data have been downlinked, including: (i) the highest-resolution images from the flyby, taken with the narrow-angle Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) camera (7). These LORRI images have a pixel scale which is 4 times finer (33 m pixel -1 ) than the 130 m pixel -1 of previously-available Multicolor Visible Imaging Camera (MVIC) (8) images (1), though due to smear and a lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), the effective resolution of the LORRI images is only about 2 times better than the MVIC images; (ii) Additional LORRI images from earlier approach epochs, with higher SNR than previously-downlinked data; (iii) Improved LORRI distant approach rotational coverage, constraining the shape and rotational parameters; and (iv) Additional satellite and ring search data from LORRI and MVIC.…”

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confidence: 99%

The geology and geophysics of Kuiper Belt object (486958) Arrokoth

Spencer¹,

Stern²,

Moore³

et al. 2020

Science

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208

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The Cold Classical Kuiper Belt, a class of small bodies in undisturbed orbits beyond Neptune, is composed of primitive objects preserving information about Solar System formation. In January 2019, the New Horizons spacecraft flew past one of these objects, the 36-kilometer-long contact binary (486958) Arrokoth (provisional designation 2014 MU69). Images from the flyby show that Arrokoth has no detectable rings, and no satellites (larger than 180 meters in diameter) within a radius of 8000 kilometers. Arrokoth has a lightly cratered, smooth surface with complex geological features, unlike those on previously visited Solar System bodies. The density of impact craters indicates the surface dates from the formation of the Solar System. The two lobes of the contact binary have closely aligned poles and equators, constraining their accretion mechanism.

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“…The overall F606W-F814W color for 1994 JR1 from our dataset was included in Porter et al 2016, however here we report the individual image photometry. We anticipate that these data will provide critical color information about these objects when they are observed by New Horizons' panchromatic LOng Range Reconnaissance Imager [LORRI; Cheng et al 2008] to help place the spacecraft observations in proper context with other KBO datasets. We also investigate short term variability for these objects and binarity at the resolution of HST (~0.06 arcsec for these data).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%