A determination of the masses of Ceres, Pallas, and Vesta from their perturbations upon the orbit of Mars
Abstract
Estimates have been made for the masses of the asteroids Ceres, Pallas, and Vesta by measuring their perturbations upon the orbit of Mars. The complete set of planetary ephemeris observational data, including especially the highly accurate ranging data to the Viking landers, is incorporated into a full least-squares adjustment of all ephemeris parameters including the relevant asteroid masses. The results show a mass for Ceres of 5.0 ± 0.2 × 10 -10 solar masses (a 15% decrease from Schubart's previous determination), a mass for Pallas of 1.4 ± 0.2 × 10 -10 (30% increase), and a mass for Vesta of 1.5 ± 0.3 × 10 -10 (9% increase). Chances for future determinations seem to depend upon the Russian Phobos Lander mission and upon future radar-ranging to the asteroids themselves.
- Publication:
-
Icarus
- Pub Date:
- August 1989
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0019-1035(89)90143-7
- Bibcode:
- 1989Icar...80..326S
- Keywords:
-
- Ceres Asteroid;
- Mars (Planet);
- Orbital Mechanics;
- Perturbation Theory;
- Planet Ephemerides;
- Vesta Asteroid;
- Least Squares Method;
- Mass;
- Stellar Orbits;
- ASTEROIDS;
- MASS;
- CERES;
- PALLAS;
- VESTA;
- PERTURBATIONS;
- ORBITS;
- MARS;
- EPHEMERIDES;
- EARTH-BASED OBSERVATIONS;
- SPACECRAFT OBSERVATIONS;
- PARAMETERS;
- COMPARISONS