Authors: Dollfus A. and Brunier S.
Year: 1981
Title: Observations of Saturn's inner satellites and the orbit of Janus in 1980
Journal: Icarus
Volume: 48
Pages: 29-38
Keywords: Saturn, faint, observation, data, position, photographic
Abstract: Results are presented of systematic observations of the faint satellites of Saturn during the epoch of edge-on ring presentation around March 13, 1980, and a reexamination of plates taken during the edge-on presentation of 1966. For the case of the 1966 discovery plates of satellite S10 Janus and the other 1966 plates, astrometric calculations and photometry reveal that some of the 1966 observations thought to be 1966 S2 (S11) were in fact reobservations of Janus. Differences in magnitude indicate that it is satellite 1980 S1 that corresponds to Janus, with a period of either 0.69458, 0.69448 or 0.69438 days over the last 14 years. The satellite 1980 S3 is identified with the fainter satellite, S11, which was leading Janus by 190 deg in longitude in 1980, and by 224 deg in 1966. Other observations reveal an object of magnitude 15-16 not detached from the ring, possibly representing a ring condensation or an additional faint inner satellite. Observatory: Pic-du-Midi. Observers: Dollfus A., Brunier S. Telescope: focal coronograph, 107 cm reflector. Receiver: photograpic. Period: S1=S10 - 23 Mar 1980 (13 obs.), S3=S11 - 23 Mar 1980 (7 obs.).
%F: AB(Paris, Observatoire, Meudon, Hauts-de-Seine, France)
Bibliogaphic Code: 1981Icar...48...29D
Return to previous page