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Discovery of a comet by its Lyman-α emission

Author

Listed:
  • J. Teemu T. Mäkinen

    (Finnish Meteorological Institute, Geophysical Research)

  • Jean-Loup Bertaux

    (Service d’Aeronomie)

  • Harri Laakso

    (Finnish Meteorological Institute, Geophysical Research)

  • Tuija Pulkkinen

    (Finnish Meteorological Institute, Geophysical Research)

  • Tuula Summanen

    (Finnish Meteorological Institute, Geophysical Research)

  • Erkki Kyrölä

    (Finnish Meteorological Institute, Geophysical Research)

  • Walter Schmidt

    (Finnish Meteorological Institute, Geophysical Research)

  • Eric Quémerais

    (Service d’Aeronomie)

  • Rosine Lallement

    (Service d’Aeronomie)

Abstract

Several searches for near-Earth objects have recently been initiated, as a result of increased awareness of the hazard of impacts on the Earth. These programs mainly search for asteroids, so amateur astronomers can still contribute to the discovery of comets, especially out of the orbital plane of the Solar System. An ideal way to search for comets would be to use a spaceborne instrument capable of imaging the whole sky on a daily basis in a systematic and repeatable way. Such an instrument already exists on the solar observatory SOHO; it operates at the Lyman-α wavelength of neutral hydrogen, which is the main component of the emission cloud of a comet. Here we report the discovery, using archival data from this satellite, of a hitherto unnoticed comet which reached a perihelion of 1.546 a.u. on 26 June 1997. We derive the water production rate of the comet as a function of time and find that it increases after perihelion, like that of comet Halley.

Suggested Citation

  • J. Teemu T. Mäkinen & Jean-Loup Bertaux & Harri Laakso & Tuija Pulkkinen & Tuula Summanen & Erkki Kyrölä & Walter Schmidt & Eric Quémerais & Rosine Lallement, 2000. "Discovery of a comet by its Lyman-α emission," Nature, Nature, vol. 405(6784), pages 321-322, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:405:y:2000:i:6784:d:10.1038_35012526
    DOI: 10.1038/35012526
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