What is it about?
We made the first observation of 3-millimeter wavelength radiation coming from Saturn's rings, using a 3-antenna array that detects such microwaves.
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Why is it important?
No instrument has yet imaged or sampled an individual ring particle for Saturn's majestic ring system. Each different wavelength region or "color" provides a different perspective of a remote object, and our 3-mm results fall in line with other wavelength observations of Saturn's rings, and with spacecraft observations, to support the idea that the rings are primarily composed of water ice.
Perspectives
This was my first scientific project as a graduate student at Caltech, working with planetary radio astronomer Prof. Dewey Muhleman. I remember being at the Owens Valley Radio Observatory (OVRO) late at night, and seeing a bright-white triangle suddenly appear on the ridge of one of the dark mountains. It slowly grew in size and was a dazzling sight, especially during the minutes before I realized it was the tip of the crescent Moon rising.
Professor Timothy E. Dowling
University of Louisville
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Aperture synthesis observations of Saturn and its rings at 2.7-mm wavelength, Icarus, June 1987, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/0019-1035(87)90092-3.
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