Limits on the nucleus of Halley's Comet

Details Limits on the nucleus of Halley's Comet Limits on the nucleus of Halley's Comet

Jul 1982

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1982natur.298..249b&link_type=abstract

Nature, vol. 298, July 15, 1982, p. 249-251.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

13

Astronomical Photometry, Brightness, Comet Nuclei, Halley'S Comet, Albedo, Extremely High Frequencies, Light Curve, Mass Distribution, Comets, Halley, Comet Nuclei, Magnitude, Brightness, Observations, Visible Radiation, Lightcurves, Orbits, Motion, Physical Properties, Surface, Albedo, Mass

Scientific paper

Photometric V-band observations made during 1981-82 of Halley's comet are used along with visual light curves of the comet published in 1910 to estimate a limiting magnitude to the brightness of the nucleus. A star image of 1.6 arcsec for a full width at half intensity was obtained at Kitt Peak Observatory with the comet 12.03 AU from the earth. A production rate of molecules at 1 AU is projected to lie in the range of 10 to the 28th to 10 to the 30th/sec, with current V-band brightness being 24.3. The nucleus is modeled as being a nonrotating, water ice sphere similar to either Callisto or Europa, which have low and high albedos, respectively. The nuclear radius is further placed at 4.3 km, the density at 5.9 g/cu cm, and the total mass between 1.7 x 10 to the 15th and 1.9 x 10 to the 17th g. The cometary nucleus is concluded to be as bright as 14.14 mag.

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