[meteorite-list] Possible Detection of a Short Tail Behind Comet 17P/Holmes

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:29:33 -0800 (PST)
Message-ID: <200710300029.QAA24272_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

POSSIBLE DETECTION OF A SHORT TAIL BEHIND COMET 17/P HOLMES
Universite de Montreal
October 29, 2007

Montreal - The recent brightening of comet Holmes has
spurred a frenzy of observations both by amateurs and professionals
astronomers alike. All these observations reveal a tailless round
yellowish fuzzball in the constellation Perseus. Near infrared images
of comet P/17 Holmes, obtained with the 1.6m Ritchey-Chretien telescope
at Mont Megantic Observatory (Qc, Canada), indicate a small tail-like
feature next to the comet's head.

The images were obtained by graduate student Sandie Bouchard and
night assistant Bernard Malenfant on the morning of October 26, using
SIMON, a Near Infrared Polarimetric Imager.

A preliminary analysis, performed by astronomers Pierre Bastien and
Rene Doyon from Universite de Montr?al and the Centre de Recherche en
Astrophysique du Quebec (CRAQ) clearly shows a bright elongated feature
surrounding the more luminous comet's coma. This elongated feature,
probably a cloud of dust and gas, which resembles a small tail, is
going out at position angle of 145 degrees (+/- 5 deg), measured from
north and going east. This direction makes an angle of about 33 degrees
relative to the Sun-comet direction. Although the images display
tantalizing evidence of a tail, the direction of the feature does not
point directly in the direction opposite to the Sun, as expected.

For more information, contact:
Dr. Pierre Bastien
Universite de Montreal
Tel: 1-514-343-5816
Email: bastien at astro.umontreal.ca

Image caption: The following raw images were taken with the NIR
instrument SIMON. On both images East is up and North is right.

Fig.1 : image taken with an I filter Oct 26 at 04:37 EDT (08:37 UT)
Fig.2 : same as fig.1 but with a J filter taken at 04:10 EDT (08:10 UT).

http://www.astro.umontreal.ca/~casca/PR/holmes_I.png
http://www.astro.umontreal.ca/~casca/PR/holmes_J.png

PIO Source:
Robert Lamontagne
Attache de presse/Press Officer
Societe canadienne d'astronomie/Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA)
Dept. de Physique Tel: 1-514-343-6111
(p.3195)
Universite de Montr?al Telecopieur: 1-514-343-2071
C.P. 6128, Succ. Centre-ville
Montreal, Que. H3C 3J7 Courriel:
lamont at astro.umontreal.ca
Received on Mon 29 Oct 2007 08:29:33 PM PDT