Background Sky Brightness Measurements for Application to Space Surveillance Systems.
Abstract
Background starlight has been mapped in blue and red wavelengths over the entire sky, using Pioneer 10 observations from beyond the asteroid belt where the zodiacal light is negligible. Zodiacal light has been isolated in observations between 1 and 3 AU to derive heliocentric dependence. The general solution for inversion of the zodiacal light brightness integral has been derived and is used to yield the scattering function of interplanetary dust for each position traversed by the probe moving through the solar system. Properties of the dust are found to change with heliocentric distance. Polarization of zodiacal light was determined at the north celestial, south ecliptic, and north galactic poles. For inner zodiacal light, symmetry plane of interplanetary dust is close to orbital plane of Venus. At 110 degrees from the sun, it is close to orbital plane of Mars. There appears to be more than one symmetary 'plane' for the dust; position of maximum dust density relates closely to orbital planes of the planets. Dust rotation/bursting have been studied as possible important mechanism in comets, interplanetary space, reflection nebulae, stellar envelopes, interstellar medium.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 14, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA081881
Entities
People
- J. L. Weinberg
Organizations
- State University of New York at Albany