1. Observations of comet 19P/Borrelly by the miniature integrated camera and spectrometer aboard Deep Space 1.
- Author
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Soderblom LA, Becker TL, Bennett G, Boice DC, Britt DT, Brown RH, Buratti BJ, Isbell C, Giese B, Hare T, Hicks MD, Howington-Kraus E, Kirk RL, Lee M, Nelson RM, Oberst J, Owen TC, Rayman MD, Sandel BR, Stern SA, Thomas N, and Yelle RV
- Subjects
- Carbon analysis, Cosmic Dust, Hydrocarbons analysis, Spectrum Analysis, Temperature, Meteoroids
- Abstract
The nucleus of the Jupiter-family comet 19P/Borrelly was closely observed by the Miniature Integrated Camera and Spectrometer aboard the Deep Space 1 spacecraft on 22 September 2001. The 8-kilometer-long body is highly variegated on a scale of 200 meters, exhibiting large albedo variations (0.01 to 0.03) and complex geologic relationships. Short-wavelength infrared spectra (1.3 to 2.6 micrometers) show a slope toward the red and a hot, dry surface (=345 kelvin, with no trace of water ice or hydrated minerals), consistent with approximately 10% or less of the surface actively sublimating. Borrelly's coma exhibits two types of dust features: fans and highly collimated jets. At encounter, the near-nucleus coma was dominated by a prominent dust jet that resolved into at least three smaller jets emanating from a broad basin in the middle of the nucleus. Because the major dust jet remained fixed in orientation, it is evidently aligned near the rotation axis of the nucleus.
- Published
- 2002
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