A Search for Main Belt Comets with Pan-STARRS 1

Details A Search for Main Belt Comets with Pan-STARRS 1 A Search for Main Belt Comets with Pan-STARRS 1

May 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007aas...210.9804k&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society Meeting 210, #98.04; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.227

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

1

Scientific paper

We report on ongoing work to search for Main Belt Comets (MBCs) in the asteroid belt using the Pan-STARRS 1 survey. Three such main belt asteroids with comet-like activity are known. In the past year, Hsieh and Jewitt (2006 Science 312 661) reported discovering one active Main Belt Comet (MBC) in a survey of approximately 300 asteroids, suggesting a prevalence of 0.3%. Accordingly, there may be as many as 5000 one kilometer MBCs active at any moment. Pan-STARRS 1 will observe nearly all objects in the main belt, and will find MBCs significantly less active than the three known specimens. As potential sources of terrestrial water, any MBCs discovered will represent excellent candidates for subsequent exploration with space probes.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

A Search for Main Belt Comets with Pan-STARRS 1 does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with A Search for Main Belt Comets with Pan-STARRS 1, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and A Search for Main Belt Comets with Pan-STARRS 1 will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1033937