Detection of rings around Uranus
Abstract
AN occultation of the ninth-magnitude star SAO 158687 by Uranus on 10 March 1977 was predicted by Gordon Taylor1 in 1973. Although the original prediction indicated that the occultation would be widely visible from land masses surrounding the Indian Ocean, subsequent work by Franz and Wasserman (at Lowell Observatory) showed that ground-based observations would be possible only from southern Africa and possibly from southwestern Australia2. In view of the wealth of new information about Uranus which could be derived from photometric observations of this event3, we decided to attempt observations using the 61-cm Planetary Patrol telescope at Perth Observatory near Bickley, Western Australia. In fact, an occultation of the star by Uranus itself did not occur at Perth. Partial occultations of SAO 158687 by a series of rings around the planet were observed and are described here.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- May 1977
- DOI:
- 10.1038/267330a0
- Bibcode:
- 1977Natur.267..330M
- Keywords:
-
- Astronomical Photometry;
- Planetary Structure;
- Ring Structures;
- Stellar Occultation;
- Uranus (Planet);
- Light Curve;
- Lunar and Planetary Exploration