Issue |
A&A
Volume 408, Number 2, September III 2003
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 767 - 774 | |
Section | Planets and planetary systems | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20030964 | |
Published online | 17 November 2003 |
Dust production and coma morphology of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko during the 2002–2003 apparition
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), C/Vía Láctea s/n, 38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
Corresponding author: mrk@ll.iac.es
Received:
27
May
2003
Accepted:
17
June
2003
Light curves and images of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko are presented for the 2002–2003 apparition based on amateur CCD
monitoring using a standardised method to produce consistent photometry in Johnson-Kron-Cousins system. Multiaperture
data shows a large outburst at perihelion during which dust production increased by a factor of 2 to give a peak value
of cm. A similar outburst
was seen at the same epoch of the previous apparition in 1995–96 and probably in 1982–83, suggesting that the light
curve is similar at succesive returns. A considerable change is seen in the slope of the
light curve at
AU (
days) corresponding to a second significant increase in dust production. Overall
though the dust production shows a very steep dependence with heliocentric distance, falling as r-5.8.
Key words: comets: individual: 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko / techniques: photometric
© ESO, 2003
Current usage metrics show cumulative count of Article Views (full-text article views including HTML views, PDF and ePub downloads, according to the available data) and Abstracts Views on Vision4Press platform.
Data correspond to usage on the plateform after 2015. The current usage metrics is available 48-96 hours after online publication and is updated daily on week days.
Initial download of the metrics may take a while.