Article summary
AI generated
Understanding the topography of Neptune's inner satellites, Larissa and Proteus, is crucial for comprehending their geological history and evolution. This study successfully created the first detailed topographic models and maps of both satellites, revealing their heavily cratered surfaces and significant geological features, including linear ridges and valleys.
Abstract
Topographic models of Neptune's small inner satellites Larissa and Proteus were derived from the shapes of limbs and terminators in Voyager images, modified locally to accomodate large craters and ridges. The models are presented here in tabular and graphic form, including the first map of Larissa and the first detailed relief map of Proteus. The shape of Larissa is approximated by a triaxial ellipsoid with axes of 208, 192 and 178 km, but is only weakly constrained by the single available view. The volume is estimated to be 3.5 ± 1.0 × 106 km3. The surface is heavily cratered and may be crossed by one or two poorly seen linear ridges. Proteus is approximated by a triaxial ellipsoid with axes of 424, 390 and 396 km (the latter being the rotation axis dimension). The volume is estimated to be 3.4 ± 0.4 × 107 km3. Its surface appears to be very heavily cratered and extensive evidence for linear fractures is observed despite very low image quality.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Croft, S. K.: 1992,Icarus 99, 402–419.
Smith, B. A., Soderblom, L. A., Banfield, D., Barnet, C., Basilevsky, A. T., Beebe, R, F., Bollinger, K., Boyce, J. M., Brahic, A., Briggs, G. A., Brown, R. H., Chyba, C., Collins, S. A., Colvin, T., Cook, A. F., Crisp, D., Croft, S. K., Cruikshank, D., Cuzzi, J. N., Danielson, G. E., Davies, M. E., De Jong, E., Dones, L., Godfrey, D., Goguen, J., Grenier, I., Haemmerle, V. R., Hammel, H., Hansen, C. J., Helfenstein, C. P., Howell, C., Hunt, G.E., Ingersoll, A. P., Johnson, T. V., Kargel, J., Kirk, R., Kuehn, D. I., Limaye, S., Masursky, H., McEwan, A., Morrison, D., Owen, T., Owen, W., Pollack, J. B., Porco, C. C., Rages, K., Rogers, P., Rudy, D., Sagan, C., Schwartz, J., Shoemaker, E. M., Showalter, M., Sicardy, B., Simonelli, D., Spencer, J., Sromovsky, L. A., Stoker, C., Strom, R., Suomi, V. E., Synott, S. P., Terrile, R. J., Thomas, P., Thompson, W. R., Verbiscer, A. and Veverka, J.: 1989,Science 246, 1422–1449.
Stooke, P. J.: 1992a,Earth, Moon and Planets 56, 123–139.
Stooke, P. J.: 1992b,Proceedings, International Conference on Asteroids, Comets, Meteorites 1991, Flagstaff (Harris, A. W. and Bowell, E., eds.), 583–586. Houston: Lunar and Planetary Institute.
Stooke, P. J.: 1993a,Earth, Moon and Planets 62, 199–221.
Stooke, P. J.: 1993b,Earth, Moon and Planets 63, 67–83.
Stooke, P. J. and Lumsdon, M. P.: 1993,Earth, Moon and Planets 62, 223–237.
Stooke, P. J. and Keller, C. P.: 1990,Cartographica 27, 82–100.
Thomas, P.: 1979,Icarus 40, 223–243.
Thomas, P. C. and Veverka, J.: 1990,Reports of Planetary Geology and Geophysics Program - 1989, NASA Technical Memorandum 4210, pp. 71–73. Washington, D.C.: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Thomas, P. C. and Veverka, J.: 1991,Journal of Geophysical Research 96 (supplement), 19, 261–268.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stooke, P.J. The surfaces of Larissa and Proteus. Earth Moon Planet 65, 31–54 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00572198
Received:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00572198