The Atmosphere Explorer optical glow near perigee altitudes

Cosmic Ray Abundance at Aircraft Altitudes in the Earth’s Atmosphere

Recent investigations of cosmic ray primaries and secondaries at aviation altitudes in the Earth’s atmosphere include the study of Z≥2 particles along the London-New York flight routes on supersonic aircraft. Preliminary charge spectra will be presented for these nuclei and comparisons will be made with the predictions of cosmic ray transport models in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Jovian Atmosphere: Near-Ultraviolet Absorption

Greenspan and Owen (1), in a stimulating discussion of the Jovian atmosphere, have reconsidered Stecher's (2) rocket ultraviolet spectroscopy of Jupiter. They conclude that, while the general reflectivity between 2000 and 3000 A can be matched by some 12 km-atm of H2 and a small surface reflectivity, there still exist two significant absorption features in this wavelength range. This residual a...

Zodiacal Light Surface Brightness Measurements by Atmosphere Explorer-C

Using the visible airglow photometer on the Atmosphere Explorer-C satellite, we have mapped the zodiacal light surface brightness at the wavelengths monitored by the instrument: 3371, 4278, 5200, 5577, 6300, and 7319 .~. The study constitutes a survey over this wavelength range, covering most of the celestial sphere, from altitudes above the atmospheric emissions, and free from atmospheric scat...

Optical Turbulence Profiles in the Atmosphere

Optical Turbulence in the Antarctic Atmosphere

Turbulence in the earth’s atmosphere severely limits the resolution and sensitivity of astronomical observations. The vertical distribution of turbulence in the atmosphere has a profound effect on the residuals after correction by an active instrument such as adaptive optics or a fringe tracking interferometer. It has already been shown that the South Pole has turbulence profiles unlike those a...