MID-INFRARED PROPERTIES OF DISK AVERAGED OBSERVATIONS OF EARTH WITH AIRS
- 1. Goddard Space Flight Center/Wyle Information Systems, Mailstop 610.2, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States)
- 2. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-2451 (United States)
- 3. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States)
- 4. Department of Physics and Astronomy, STFC/University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom)
Description
We have investigated mid-infrared spectra of Earth obtained by the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument on-board the AQUA spacecraft to explore the characteristics that may someday be observed in extrasolar terrestrial planets. We have used the AIRS infrared (R ∼ 1200; 3.75-15.4 μm) spectra to construct directly observed high-resolution spectra of the only known life bearing planet, Earth. The AIRS spectra are the first such spectra that span the seasons. We investigate the rotational and seasonal spectral variations that would arise due to varying cloud amount and viewing geometry and we explore what signatures may be observable in the mid-infrared by the next generation of telescopes capable of observing extrasolar terrestrial planets.
Availability note (English)
Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/693/2/1763Additional details
Identifiers
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Astrophysical Journal
- Journal Volume
- 693
- Journal Issue
- 2
- Journal Page Range
- p. 1763-1774
- ISSN
- 0004-637X
- CODEN
- ASJOAB
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United States
- Country of Input or Organization
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- INIS RN
- 41029541
- Subject category
- S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
- Descriptors DEI
- EARTH PLANET; GEOMETRY; INFRARED SPECTRA; PLANETS; RESOLUTION; TELESCOPES
- Descriptors DEC
- MATHEMATICS; PLANETS; SPECTRA