There is also a detection, known as a coherent backscatter opposition effect, which can be made as the spacecraft-target-receiver angle approaches zero, which may indicate scattering centers embedded in ice.
For very bright, solid, airless objects such as Saturn's moons Enceladus and Tethys (whose Bond albedo is close to one), a strong opposition effect combines with the high Bond albedo to give them a geometric albedo above unity (1.
The strangest thing about Mercury is that it actually brightens as it gets further away from the Earth. Rather mind-boggling, but apparently this is due to a phenomenon called "opposition effect" -- a possible topic for future article.
* it is visible almost all night, rising around sunset, culminating around midnight and setting around sunrise;
* its orbit brings it closest to the Earth, making it appear bigger and brighter.
* the opposition effect increases the reflected light ...
 See also: Light, Earth, Opposition, Moon, Solar
|
