Physics
Scientific paper
Jul 1996
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996hst..prop.6630l&link_type=abstract
HST Proposal ID #6630
Physics
Hst Proposal Id #6630 Solar System
Scientific paper
We propose making Planetary Camera observations of the periodic comet 22P/Kopff which will pass close to the Earth during Cycle 6. At the minimum geocentric distance of 0.56 AU, the Planetary Camera will achieve a spatial resolution {2 pixels} of 38 km allowing light from the nucleus to be clearly distinguished from light due to the surrounding coma. We plan to measure the B, V, R, I magnitudes of the nucleus in order to derive its color, and we plan to study its rotational properties by measuring its projected cross sections as a function of time. We have an approved program to observe the nucleus of comet 22P/Kopff with ISOCAM in the thermal infrared so that we shall derive its albedo and in turn its size with very minimal asumptions by combining HST and ISO observations. We expect to image possible dust and gas structures in the coma ``down to the nucleus'', and to follow their temporal evolution. This should allow us to map the sources of dust and gas on the nucleus. Extending our knowledge and understanding of cometary nuclei, as made uniquely possible by HST and ISO, is essential in the context of preparing for the space exploration of primitive bodies {e.g., the ROSETTA and STARDUST missions}.
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