Authors: Thomas P. C.
Year: 2000
Title: NOTE: The Shape of Triton from Limb Profiles
Journal: Icarus
Volume: 148
Pages: 587-588
Keywords: Neptune, major, planetology
Abstract: Limb profiles from Voyager 2 images of Triton show it to be an ellipsoid of axes 1354.6, 1352.8, and 1352.4 km (+/-0.9 km). Topography on the limbs suggests no large provinces such as ``continents'' with relief over a kilometer. The shape solution is not accurate enough to constrain Triton's moments of inertia. The apparently relaxed shape is consistent with the youthful geologic features and supports interpretations that atmospheric distortion suggested by occultation data is due to atmospheric phenomena rather than physical body distortions.
%F: AA(Center for Radiophysics and Space Research, 422 Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. thomas@cuspif.tn.cornell.edu)
Bibliogaphic Code: 2000Icar..148..587T
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