Determination of Position of Jupiter From Very-Long Baseline Interferometry Observations of ULYSSES
Abstract
Very-long baseline interferometry (VLBI) observations of the Ulysses spacecraft near its encounter with Jupiter on 1992 February 8 were made to determine the angular position of Jupiter with respect to well known extragalactic radio sources. Spacecraft range and Doppler data were used to determine the position of the spacecraft with respect to Jupiter. Thirty-one VLBI observations of the spacecraft were made within 30 days of Ulysses closest approach to Jupiter, using the California-Spain and California-Australia baselines of NASA's Deep Space Network. When combined, these data determine the position of Jupiter at the time of encounter with an accuracy of 0.003" in right ascension and 0.005" in declination. In addition, the Earth-Jupiter distance was determined with 20 m accuracy.
- Publication:
-
The Astronomical Journal
- Pub Date:
- September 1996
- DOI:
- 10.1086/118099
- Bibcode:
- 1996AJ....112.1294F
- Keywords:
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- PLANETS AND SATELLITES: INDIVIDUAL: JUPITER;
- SPACE PROBES