First detection of visible zodiacal dust bands from ground-based observations

We present the first ground-based observational evidence of the zodiacal du st bands originally discovered by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS ) and confirmed by the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE). Our photometric o bservations have been performed on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, between 1997 October 29 and November 2, using a 24 mm wide-angle lens attached to a cooled CCD c amera, and a blue filter centered at 440 nm. Photometric data of the mornin g zodiacal light have revealed the presence of zodiacal dust bands at eclip tic latitudes beta = 0 degrees, 3 degrees, and +/- 10 degrees, as well as a dditional faint structures at approximately beta = +/- 5 degrees, between s olar elongations epsilon = 75 degrees and 90 degrees. The brightness of dus t bands is approximately 2%-3% of the background zodiacal light. Moreover, our observation of the Gegenschein has discovered dust bands at beta = +2 d egrees, -4 degrees, and -9 degrees at 165 degrees less than or equal to eps ilon less than or equal to 185 degrees. Using the separation of the inner d ust band pair observed in two different regions of epsilon, we estimate the parallactic distance of this band pair to be about 1.6 AU from the Sun.