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Count Bowell at record heliocentric distanceNew observations of Comet Bowell at the record distance of 13.6 AU are presented. An extended coma is present, the size of which is consistent with the same slow expansion rate of roughly 1 m/s detected around perihelion. The cross-section of the solid grains within the central 10 arcsec of the coma has decreased by over an order of magnitude since 1980-84, which indicates that the coma production is declining. The decline began near R of roughly 10 AU, the same distance at which production began on the preperihelion leg. The coma at R of 10 AU or less may be formed by sublimation of CO2 or an ice of similar volatility from the nucleus.
Document ID
19870066811
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
External Source(s)
Authors
Meech, Karen J.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Jewitt, David
(MIT Cambridge, MA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 13, 2013
Publication Date
August 6, 1987
Publication Information
Publication: Nature
Volume: 328
ISSN: 0028-0836
Subject Category
Astrophysics
Accession Number
87A54085
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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