URAP

Jupiter Distant Encounter


Ulysses's orbit will bring it into the vicinity of Jupiter during 2003 and 2004.  During this encounter it will be making a unique path that will reach high Jovian latitudes.  Ulysses investigators plan to make detailed observations in order to take advantage of this unique opportunity.  Details of the encounter are given below.

Observing Goals

The table below lists a number of investigations that have been identified as valuable research topics that could be carried out during the Jovian encounter. These would include not only Ulysses investigators but other research groups interested in Jupiter and its environment.

Ulysses URAP Observing Goals - Jupiter Distant Encounter
# Observing Goal Non-Ulysses Collaborators Observing Interval(s) Priority Comments
1 Compare Ulysses- Galileo observations of Jovian emissions Galileo radio investigation Present - 9/2003 high Galileo end of mission in 9/2003; Ulysses latitude variation important
2 Categorize Jovian emissions in latitude- longitude space - Present - 12/2004 high Need at least 1 month observing per 5 deg lat. interval (jovicentric)
3 Measure scattering of kHz waves in IPM - Present – 2/2004 medium Using time profiles of QP bursts
4 Conduct joint studies of Jovian quasi- periodic (QP) bursts (J_lat 30 – 60 deg) CXO, HST, etc. 10/2002 - 2/2003 1/2004 – 3/2004 (rel. long. Earth & Jupiter similar) very high Planning w/ H. Waite (coauthor of Chandra/QP burst Science article)
5 Study solar wind control of Jovian auroral emissions Ground-based IR, HST, Int'l Jupiter Watch 10/2002 – 2/2003 1/2004 – 4/2004 (same as #4) very high In 2004, Ulysses location permits good projection of SW conditions at Jup.
6 Study the low freq. elliptically-polarized source (aka BHM) - 1/2004 – 3/2004 high 1024 bps required for polarization; need to be <1 AU from Jupiter
7 Conduct joint Ulysses-Cassini observations of SKR Cassini radio investigation 7/2004 - ?? medium Cassini arrives at Saturn 7/2004

Ulysses Trajectory Plots


Show below are plots of the Ulysses-Jupiter range, the jovicentric and heliographic latitudes of Ulysses, the relative heliolongitudes, and the position of Ulysses in Jovian local time.  PDF version of this plot.
The image is a collection of plots showing Ulysses-Jupiter range, the latitude of Ulysses, the relative heliologniutde of Ulysses, and the local time of Ulysses relative to Jupiter.

Below is a plot of the trajectory Ulysses will follow from 2002 to 2005.  As can be seen in the plot, Ulysses reaches to about 75 deg. North Jovigraphic Latitude in late 2003 and remains there for several months.  Ulysses is the first spacecraft to allow a long period of observations at these high Jovian latitudes and thus presents an opportunity to make unique new discoveries about the Jovian environment. Postscript version of this plot.
The plot shows the trajectory of Ulysses from January 2002 until December 2004. The X axis is the Jovian local time and the Y axis is the Jovigraphic Latitude. Ulysses trajectory starts out near a local Jovian time of 12 hours, slowly decreases in local time, and reaches a local time of about 9 hours and a latitude of about 60 degrees in July 2003. It then swings back in local time and reaches a Jovigraphic latitude of near 75 degrees. In February 2004 is makes a decent in latitude, reaching -20 degrees in December 2004 at a Jovian local time of 17 hours.

The plot below shows the orbital path of Ulysses in ecliptic coordinates during January 2003 to September 2004.
Postscript version of this plot.
This plot shows the trajectory of Ulysses in ecliptic coordinates during the period January 2003 to September 2004. It has two parts, one in the X-Y plane and one in the X-Z plane. The Sun is at the center. The plots show the Sun, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Ulysses.
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Updated 2005-10-17