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We present observations of Io's Loki Patera taken with the 10-m Keck telescopes between 1998 and 2016. Adding these data to those published by Rathbun and Spencer (2006) and the Gemini data of de Kleer and de Pater (2016a, 2017) results in a database of 3.5–3.8µm emission from Loki Patera over almost 3 decades. Data presented here contain adaptive optics (AO) observations of Io's sunlit hemisphere...
We present five epochs of WFC3 HST Jupiter observations taken between 2009–2016 and extract global zonal wind profiles for each epoch. Jupiter’s zonal wind field is globally stable throughout these years, but significant variations in certain latitude regions persist. We find that the largest uncertainties in the wind field are due to vortices or hot-spots, and show residual maps which identify the...
We observed Jupiter at wavelengths near 2 cm with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA) in February 2015. These frequencies are mostly sensitive to variations in ammonia abundance and probe between ∼0.5−2.0 bars of pressure in Jupiter’s atmosphere; within and below the visible cloud deck which has its base near 0.7 bars. The resultant observed data were projected into a cylindrical map of the...
We observed Titan with the OH Suppressing InfraRed Imaging Spectrograph (OSIRIS) at the W. M. Keck observatory from 2006 through 2015 using adaptive optics. The sunlight scattered by atmospheric haze was spatially resolved in the 2.0 µm (K) band window, and the spectra were analyzed with a radiative transfer model to determine the vertical (altitude) and meridional (latitudinal) variation in the haze...
Loki Patera is one of the most dramatically time-variable volcanic features on Io, exhibiting episodic brightening events every 1–3 years that may produce over 15% of Io’s global heat flow. We observed three such brightening events with adaptive optics imaging at the Keck and Gemini N telescopes over the course of 70 nights of observation in 2013–2016. The high cadence and multi-wavelength nature...
Using the S-band radar at Arecibo Observatory, we observed 16 Psyche, the largest M-class asteroid in the main belt. We obtained 18 radar imaging and 6 continuous wave runs in November and December 2015, and combined these with 16 continuous wave runs from 2005 and 6 recent adaptive-optics (AO) images (Drummond et al., 2016) to generate a three-dimensional shape model of Psyche. Our model is consistent...
Jupiter’s moon Io is a dynamic target, exhibiting extreme and time-variable volcanic activity powered by tidal forcing from Jupiter. We have conducted a campaign of high-cadence observations of Io with the goal of characterizing its volcanic activity. Between Aug 2013 and the end of 2015, we imaged Io on 100 nights in the near-infrared with adaptive optics on the Keck and Gemini N telescopes, which...
The extreme and time-variable volcanic activity on Jupiter’s moon Io is the result of periodic tidal forcing. The spatial distribution of Io’s surface heat flux provides an important constraint on models for tidal heat dissipation, yielding information on interior properties and on the depth at which the tidal heat is primarily dissipated. We analyze the spatial distribution of 48 hot spots based...
We report observations of four energetic volcanic eruptions on Io: at Tupan Patera on UT 8 March 2003; Tung Yo Patera on UT 28 May 2004; Sui Jen Patera on UT 30 May 2004; and south of Babbar Patera on UT 31 May 2005. The Tung Yo, Sui Jen and south of Babbar Paterae eruptions are in locations where no activity had been seen before. Our observations were obtained at near-infrared wavelengths (1.2–4...
Observations obtained with the near-infrared camera NIRC2, coupled to the adaptive optics system on the 10-m W.M. Keck II telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, on 14 August 2007 revealed an active and highly-energetic eruption at Pillan at 245.2±0.7°W and 8.5±0.5°S. A one-temperature blackbody fit to the data revealed a (blackbody) temperature of 840±40K over an area of 17km2, with a total power output...
We observed Uranus in the near-infrared H and K′ bands (1.47–2.38μm) in 2010 and 2011 with the OSIRIS imaging spectrograph on the Keck II telescope with adaptive optics. In 2010, three years past the equinox, we had a good view of the north polar region while still having access to southern latitudes down to 70°S. In 2011 our observations focused on a moderately bright discrete cloud feature in the...
In spite of an expected decline in convective activity following the 2007 equinox of Uranus, eight sizable storms were detected on the planet with the near-infrared camera NIRC2, coupled to the adaptive optics system, on the 10-m W.M. Keck telescope on UT 5 and 6 August 2014. All storms were on Uranus’ northern hemisphere, including the brightest storm ever seen in this planet at 2.2μm, reflecting...
We have imaged Io in the near-infrared (1–5μm) with adaptive optics on the 10-m W.M. Keck II and the Gemini North telescopes. We have constructed global maps from the data taken in 2010. Although numerous hot spots are visible, the maps are dominated by two volcanic centers: Loki Patera and Kanehekili Fluctus.We have examined in detail the thermal emission from Janus Patera and Kanehekili Fluctus...
Observations obtained with the near-infrared camera NIRC2, coupled to the adaptive optics system on the 10-m W.M. Keck II telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, on 15 August 2013 at ∼15:30UT revealed two large “Outburst”-class volcanic eruptions on Io. Follow-up observations five days later showed that both eruptions had substantially faded. The most energetic eruption was at Rarog Patera, at a location...
We present initial data from our campaign to monitor Io in the near-infrared, beginning in August 2013, using 3.8-μm adaptive optics imaging at Gemini N and 2–5μm disk-integrated spectroscopy at NASA’s IRTF. Conducted during 2013–2014, these observations are coincident with the ISAS/JAXA EXCEED mission’s continuous monitoring of the Io plasma torus and will enable the speculated effects of volcanic...
We observed Neptune between June and October 2003 at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths with the 10-m W.M. Keck II and I telescopes, respectively; and at radio wavelengths with the Very Large Array. Images were obtained at near-infrared wavelengths with NIRC2 coupled to the adaptive optics system in both broad- and narrow-band filters between 1.2 and 2.2μm. In the mid-infrared we imaged Neptune at...
Imaging and spectroscopy of Neptune’s thermal infrared emission from Keck/LWS (2003), Gemini-N/MICHELLE (2005); VLT/VISIR (2006) and Gemini-S/TReCS (2007) is used to assess seasonal changes in Neptune’s zonal mean temperatures between Voyager-2 observations (1989, heliocentric longitude Ls=236°) and southern summer solstice (2005, Ls=270°). Our aim was to analyse imaging and spectroscopy from multiple...
We present observations of the uranian ring system at a wavelength of 2.2μm, taken between 2003 and 2008 with NIRC2 on the W.M. Keck telescope in Hawaii, and on 15–17 August 2007 with NaCo on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile. Of particular interest are the data taken around the time of the uranian ring plane crossing with Earth on 16 August 2007, and with the Sun (equinox) on 7 December 2007...
We present the first high-resolution near-infrared (1.18–2.38μm) spectrum of the rings of Uranus, as observed with adaptive optics on the W.M. Keck II telescope in August 2010. We derive ring equivalent widths, as well as ring and particle reflectivities for the ∊ ring and ringlet groups based on H- and K-band data. We find the rings to be gray, indicating that they are dominated by large particles...
Images of Neptune obtained in 2006 at ESO's Very Large Telescope (Orton et al., 2007, Astronomy & Astrophysics 473, L5) revealed a near-polar hot spot near 70°S latitude that was detectable in filters sampling both stratospheric methane (7μm) and ethane (∼12μm) emission. Such a feature was not present in 2003 Keck and 2005 Gemini North observations, which showed only a general warming trend toward...
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