Mapping irregular bodies

Abstract

Map projecting small, irregular bodies present in the Solar System is not a trivial task. The first 3D models attempting to reconstruct the Martian satellite Phobos occurred at the end of the 1980s. After that, an increasing number of high-resolution observations of asteroids, comets and planets’ satellites lead to the identification of specific standards used to both shape model the targets as well as to map project them. In this chapter, we will present an excursus of the early 3D model reconstruction of irregular bodies, as well as the shape modelling and the retrieval of illumination conditions methodology, and the specific 3D shape reconstruction of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.