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Observations of Comet 2P/Encke During the Fall 2013 ApparitionWe will present preliminary results from our observational campaign of Comet 2P/Encke during its 2013 perihelion passage. At optical wavelengths Encke is an extremely dust poor comet that has in past perihelion passages emitted a gas jet in the form a sunward fan. We expect to characterize both the morphology and lightcurve of the comet. The low optical dust means that even near perihelion the nuclear signature can be obtained in lightcurve data taken with narrowband continuum filters which cut out the gas emission. The campaign will consist of both narrowband and broadband imaging as well as infrared spectroscopy. Imaging will be obtained from 8 nights on the KPNO 2.1m between Sept. 7 and 14 UT. Additionally, the Murillo Family Observatory, a 0.5m telescope on the CSUSB campus which is equipped with both broadband filters and a narrowband Hale-Bopp set of filters will be used to observe the comet every clear night the moon allows between late August and early October to obtain extensive lightcurve data. These data will overlap both the Kitt Peak observations and the infrared spectroscopy which will be obtained with the SpeX instrument at the IRTF on four nights between September 26 UT and October 2 UT.
Document ID
20140002415
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Abell, Paul (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Woodney, L. (California State Univ. San Bernardino, CA, United States)
Fernandez, Yanga R. (University of Central Florida Orlando, FL, United States)
Mueller, Beatrice E. (Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Samarasinha, Nalin H. (Planetary Science Inst. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Chi, Brian (Mount San Antonio Coll. Walnut, CA, United States)
Farr, Cynthia (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Redinger, Haley (Mount San Antonio Coll. Walnut, CA, United States)
Schlueter, Lindsey (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
March 28, 2014
Publication Date
October 6, 2013
Subject Category
Astronomy
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-29165
Meeting Information
Meeting: American Astronomical Society Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting
Location: Denver, CO
Country: United States
Start Date: October 6, 2013
End Date: October 11, 2013
Sponsors: American Astronautical Society
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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