Limb-darkening scans of Jupiter

An area scanning photometer has been used to obtain photometrically calibrated limb-darkening scans of Jupiter at four wavelengths: 6190, 6300, 7250, and 8200 Å. The first and third of these correspond to methane absorptions and the second and fourth to continuum regions near the 4-0 and 3-0 H₂ quadrupole bands, respectively. Single-scattering albedos have been calculated for several areas on the planet at all four wavelengths assuming a semi-infinite, homogeneous, isotropically scattering atmosphere. The values obtained at the wavelengths of the quadrupole bands range from 0.98 over the NEB to ? 0.99 over the NTrZ and the bright band in the southern hemisphere. The single-scattering albedo values are used to show that the 5μm-emitting equatorial regions of the planet may be relatively clear and the tropical regions relatively cloudy.