THE BRIGHTNESS OF MERCURY IN THE NEAR INFRARED (J AND H FILTERS)

Authors

Richard W. Schmude, Jr, Gordon State College, 419 College Dr., Barnesville, GA 30204.

Abstract

The writer used an SSP-4 solid state photometer to measure the brightness of Mercury. He used J and H filters which are sensitive to wavelengths of 1.25 and 1.65 micrometers. A total of 100 measurements were made between May 2014 and September 2017. All measurements were normalized to Mercury-Sun and Mercury-Earth distances of 1.0 astronomical unit. the normalized magnitudes were plotted against the solar phase angle of Mercury. The data were then fit to cubic polynomial equations. The sandard errors for the equations are 0.12 and 0.09 magnitudes for the J and H filters, respectively. It is concluded that Mercury's color index (J - H) rises as the solar phase angle drops from 120 degrees to 60 degrees.

Recommended Citation

Schmude, Jr, Richard W. (2018) "THE BRIGHTNESS OF MERCURY IN THE NEAR INFRARED (J AND H FILTERS)," Georgia Journal of Science, Vol. 76, No. 1, Article 33.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.gaacademy.org/gjs/vol76/iss1/33