Comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) as seen with the Herschel Space Observatory
arXiv:1410.2033 · doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201425127
Abstract
The thermal emission of comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) was observed on March 31, 2013, at a heliocentric distance of 6.48 au using the PACS photometer camera of the Herschel Space Observatory. The comet was clearly active, showing a coma that could be traced to a distance of 10", i.e. 50000 km. Analysis of the radial intensity profiles of the coma provided dust mass and dust production rate; the derived grain size distribution characteristics indicate an overabundance of large grains in the thermal emission. We estimate that activity started about 6 months before these observations, at a heliocentric distance of 8 au.
arXiv comment4 pages, 3 figures + a one-page Appendix with 2 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics (Letter)
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