MARIS , Michele

We report on the status of a project to measure eclipse-induced changes in surface temperature on the major Uranian satellites. Such measurements enable a uniquely direct determination of the thermal inertia, a measure of the resistance to changes in surface temperature. Thermal inertia is a very sensitive indicator for the presence or absence...

We will measure for the first time the thermal inertia of the surfaces of the Uranian satellites Oberon and Titania by observing them during and around solar eclipses due to Uranus. The eclipse events of the Uranian satellites in 2007-2008 represent a unique and rare opportunity, occurring every 42 years, to measure their thermal inertia. We...