🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Jan5.160744.7305@unocal.com> stgprao@st.unocal.COM  
(Richard Ottolini) writes:
> What is the cell resolution of the radar images in meters and
> what are the factors limiting this resolution?
Please see the Ostro abstract which is the second mentioned in this  
excerpt>>>>
Images of minor planet 951 Gaspra returned by the Galileo spacecraft have  
shown a heavily cratered surface whose crater density approaches  
equilibrium or saturation (the state in which new impacts remove old  
craters at the rate new ones are produced) for the smallest resolvable  
craters (1)  which are 100m in diameter. .... Apollo-class 4179 Toutatis  
.. makes a close approach to Earth on 8 December 1992. ... Radar  
investigations (2) should provide similar information about crater density  
as is now known for Gaspra.
1. Chapman, C. R. & the Galileo Imaging Team Bull. Am. astr. Soc., 24,  
931-932 (1992).
2. Ostro, S. J. Bull. Am. astr. Soc., 24, 934 (1992).
<<<<<<<
So basically Ostro hopes to get 100m craters. I have asked around and been  
told that the data inversion is both difficult and iterative, thus will  
get better results 'later'. I imagine most of the small stuff being seen  
right now is not real....
--
Martin Connors         |
Space Research         | martin@space.ualberta.ca  (403) 492-2526
University of Alberta  |