Results from observations of the 15 June 1983 occultation by the Neptune system

• Published in: The Astronomical journal 1985-04, Vol.90, p.655-667
• Main Authors: Hubbard, W. B., Frecker, J. E., Gehrels, J.-A., Gehrels, T., Hunten, D. M., Lebofsky, L. A., Smith, B. A., Tholen, D. J., Vilas, F., Zellner, B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Lunar And Planetary Exploration
• ISSN: 0004-6256
• DOI: 10.1086/113772

Observations of eight Neptune occultations from six sites in the southwestern Pacific on June 15, 1983. The data were used to search for evidence of rings around Neptune down to a distance of 0.03 Neptune radii from the planetary surface, but the results were negative. An astrometric analysis of the timings yielded solution for the equatorial radius a(0) of Neptune at 1 microbar pressure and the oblatness e at this level. The results are: a(0) = 25,295 + or - 50 km; e = 0.022 + or - 0.004, from which a value for a(1) (equatorial radius at 1 bar pressure) of 24,830 + or - 100 km; and a rotation period of P = 15 h (+3, -2 h) is derived. These results are based on a recent determination of Neptune's pole position and mass quadruple moment, and are consistent with the hypothesis that Neptune and Uranus have homologous mass distributions, although the constraint on interior structure is a weak one. If the probable uncertainty of the pole position is taken into account, error bars on e and derived quantities should be increased by about 50 percent. The present determinations of Neptune atmospheric temperatures at 1 microbar are consistent with earlier results and when combined with all previous data give an average value of 156 + or - 10 K. There is only slight evidence for any latitude dependence in the temperatures. Profiles with a high signal-to-noise ratio suggest the possible presence of an absorbing layer at altitudes higher than the 1-microbar level.