THE MULTIPLE AXIS ELLIPSOIDS AS REFERENCE SURFACES FOR MAPPING SMALL CELESTIAL BODIES

Maxim V. Nyrtsov, Lev M. Bugaevsky, Philip J. Stooke

103064, Moscow, Moscow State University of Geodesy and Cartography (MIIGAiK),

Gorokhovsky per., 4 kartfak@miigaik.ru

Nowadays the purposes of space exploration are study of the Solar System and deep space objects, discovery of new celestial bodies, their detailed exploration and transfer of this information to the Earth. For celestial bodies whose shapes are different from a sphere or ellipsoid it is possible to use the well known triaxial ellipsoid as a reference surface which is mathematically calculated and shows the elongated figure of a body. But many small bodies such as satellites, asteroids or nuclei of comets have more complex figures than a triaxial ellipsoid can show.

For this purpose we can consider map projections of non-spherical bodies which display the figure of the body clearly and geographically correct, but the calculation of distortions in those projections is a very complicated task.

Therefore directed by two purposes - to keep the possibility of calculation of distortions and to keep geographical accuracy - we suggest the use of multiple axis ellipsoids as reference surfaces.