EARLY RECOVERY OF COMET 55P TEMPEL-TUTTLE

Authors
HAINAUT OR MEECH KJ BOEHNHARDT H WEST RM
Citation
Or. Hainaut et al., EARLY RECOVERY OF COMET 55P TEMPEL-TUTTLE, Astronomy and astrophysics, 333(2), 1998, pp. 746-752
Citations number
26
Categorie Soggetti
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Journal title
Astronomy and astrophysics → ACNP
ISSN journal
00046361
Volume
333
Issue
2
Year of publication
1998
Pages
746 - 752
Database
ISI
SICI code
0004-6361(1998)333:2<746:EROC5T>2.0.ZU;2-#
Abstract
We present recovery observations of the parent of the Leonid meteor st ream - comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle using the Keck II telescope. At recover y, the comet was at r = 4.5 AU, with m(R) = 22.6, and there was no ind ication of coma or activity. Pre- and post-recovery observations from 6 observing runs (1994-1997 June) are presented. From these measuremen ts we estimate that the nucleus radius is R-N = 1.8+/-0.2 km with a nu cleus axis ratio greater than 1.5. As of 6/97 (r = 3.5 AU), the comet activity had not yet started.