Rotation of comet 46P/Wirtanen.

Details Rotation of comet 46P/Wirtanen. Rotation of comet 46P/Wirtanen.

Oct 1997

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1997a%26a...326.1268m&link_type=abstract

Astronomy and Astrophysics, v.326, p.1268-1276

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

24

Comets: 46P/Wirtanen, Space Vehicles

Scientific paper

We have observed comet 46P/Wirtanen during 1996 June, August and November using the University of Hawaii 2.2m telescope. At the time of the observations, the comet was at heliocentric distances, r=2.99, 2.53 and 1.83AU. During the August run observations were made in order to search for light curve variations due to rotational modulation of the nucleus. The comet was active for all runs, and during 1996 August the coma extended >16" (1.8x10^4^km at the distance of the comet) at PA=~325°, and during 1996 November the coma extended >20" (2.5x10^4^km at the distance of the comet) at PA=~75°. The surface brightness profile exhibited a gradient slope of -1.6 and -1.4 in August and November, respectively, only slightly steeper than that expected by radiation pressure and phase angle effects alone. Using a phase-dispersion minimization technique, we find a possible rotation period near 7.6 hours. The color of the nucleus plus dust is B-V=0.756+/-0.009, V-R=0.456+/-0.009 and R-I=0.366+/-0.009 averaged over the three runs.

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