Asteroid Characteristics by Radar

Abstract

The techniques of radar offer a potentially powerful tool for the study of planetoids. It is a new approach, having been applied to extraterrestrial targets only recently in the history of astronomical study. Although the Moon was first, Venus has been observed by radar only since 1961. Since that time the techniques and capability of radar have evolved rapidly and many important new facts about Venus have been gathered. Further, the more distant and difficult targets, Mercury and Mars, have also yielded up secrets to radar probing. Finally, during the close approach of June 1968 Icarus itself was observed by radar from two different observatories (Goldstein, 1969; Pettengill et al., 1969). Review articles on radar studies of the planets are given in Shapiro (1968) and Goldstein (1970).