Physics
Scientific paper
Aug 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010noao.prop..327h&link_type=abstract
NOAO Proposal ID #2010B-0327
Physics
Scientific paper
Main-belt comets (MBCs) are mysterious objects that exhibit cometary activity yet are dynamically indistinguishable from main-belt asteroids. Understanding these apparently icy objects so close to the Sun is important for understanding the distribution of volatile material in our solar system as well as the origin of Earth's water. Four MBCs are currently known, though only two have had their nuclei well- characterized. With so little currently known about this mysterious population, it is critical that we obtain the best possible physical characterizations for as many of the currently known MBCs as possible. This information will aid us in developing a global understanding of the population's characteristics, such as the level of diversity among members as well as the level of commonality. In turn, this global understanding will help answer larger scientific questions such as how abundant MBCs may be and what implications they have for our understanding of the distribution of icy bodies in the inner solar system. We seek observing time on SOAR to develop a definitive physical characterization of the nucleus of MBC P/2005 U1 (Read). The goals of our SOAR observations include (but are not limited to) determination of P/Read's rotation period, nucleus elongation, and colors.
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