Year: 2011
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: We have taken advantage of a stellar occultation by the dwarf planet Makemake on 2011 April 23, to determine several of its main physical properties. We present results from a multisite campaign with 8 positive occultation detections from 5 different sites, including data from the 8-m VLT and 3.5-m NTT telescopes in Chile, which have very high temporal resolution. Because the star was significantly fainter than Makemake (setting a record in the magnitude of a star whose occultation has been detected), the occultation resulted in a drop of just ~0.3 mag in the lightcurves. From the lightcurves we have been able to determine the size and shape of the body, its geometric albedo and constraints on its atmosphere.
Authors: Ortiz, José Luiz, Sicardy, Bruno, Assafin, Marcelo, Alvarez-Candal, Alvaro, Ivanov, Valentin D., Camargo, J. I. B., Littlefair, Stuart P., Unda-Sanzana, E., Jehin, Emmanuel, Braga-Ribas, F., Lellouch, Emmanuel, Morales, Nicolas, Licandro, Javier, Gil-Hutton, Ricardo, Duffard, René, Colque, J. P., Tancredi, Gonzalo, Mafroid, J., Thirouin, Audrey, Lecacheux, Jean, Gillon, Michel, Maury, Alain, Colas, François, Jaques, C., Weaver, D., Milone, A. C., Salvo, S., Bruzzone, S., Organero, F., Behrend, Raoul, Roland, S., Vieira Martins, Roberto, Widemann, Thomas, Roques, Françoise, Santos-Sanz, Pablo, Hestroffer, Daniel
Institutions: Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Valongo Observatory, European Southern Observatory, European Southern Observatory, National Observatory, Duke University, Universidad Católica del Norte, University of Liège, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, Institut de Mécanique Céleste et de Calcul des Éphémérides
Language: English
Topic: Astro and Planetary Science
Subfield: Space and Planetary Science
Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W32926197