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Collection:
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NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
NASA Spitzer Space Telescope Collection
Collection
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Title:
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Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 1
Title
Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 1
Title
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Description:
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NASA's new Spitzer Space Telescope has captured an image of an unusual comet that experiences frequent outbursts, which produce abrupt changes in brightness. Periodic comet Schwassmann-Wachmann I (P/SW-1) has a nearly circular orbit just outside that of Jupiter, with an orbital period of 14.9 years. It is thought that the outbursts arise from the build-up of internal gas pressure as the heat of the Sun slowly evaporates frozen carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide beneath the blackened crust of the comet nucleus. When the internal pressure exceeds the strength of the overlying crust, a rupture occurs, and a burst of gas and dust fragments is ejected into space at speeds of 450 miles per hour (200 meters per second).
This 24-micron image of P/SW-1 was obtained with Spitzer's multiband imaging photometer. The image shows thermal infrared emission from the dusty coma and tail of the comet. The nucleus of the comet is about 18 miles (30 kilometers) in diameter and is too small to be resolved by Spitzer. The micron-sized dust grains in the coma and tail stream out away from the Sun. The dust and gas comprising the comet's nucleus is part of the same primordial materials from which the Sun and planets were formed billions of years ago. The complex carbon-rich molecules they contain may have provided some of the raw materials from which life originated on Earth.
Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 is thought to be a member of a relatively new class of objects called "Centaurs," of which 45 objects are known. These are small icy bodies with orbits between those of Jupiter and Neptune. Astronomers believe that Centaurs are recent escapees from the Kuiper Belt, a zone of small bodies orbiting in a cloud at the distant reaches of the solar system.
Two asteroids, 1996 GM36 (left) and 5238 Naozane (right) were serendipitously captured in the comet image. Because they are closer to us than the comet and have faster orbital velocities, they appear to move relative to the comet and background stars, thereby producing a slight elongated appearance. The Spitzer data have allowed astronomers to use thermal measurements, which reduce the uncertainties of visible-light albedo (reflectivity) measurements, to determine their size. With radii of 1.4 and 3.0 kilometers, these are the smallest main-belt asteroids yet measured by infrared means.
Description
NASA's new Spitzer Space Telescope has captured an image of an unusual comet that experiences frequent outbursts, which produce abrupt changes in brightness. Periodic comet Schwassmann-Wachmann I (P/SW-1) has a nearly circular orbit just outside that of Jupiter, with an orbital period of 14.9 years. It is thought that the outbursts arise from the build-up of internal gas pressure as the heat of the Sun slowly evaporates frozen carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide beneath the blackened crust of the comet nucleus. When the internal pressure exceeds the strength of the overlying crust, a rupture occurs, and a burst of gas and dust fragments is ejected into space at speeds of 450 miles per hour (200 meters per second).
This 24-micron image of P/SW-1 was obtained with Spitzer's multiband imaging photometer. The image shows thermal infrared emission from the dusty coma and tail of the comet. The nucleus of the comet is about 18 miles (30 kilometers) in diameter and is too small to be resolved by Spitzer. The micron-sized dust grains in the coma and tail stream out away from the Sun. The dust and gas comprising the comet's nucleus is part of the same primordial materials from which the Sun and planets were formed billions of years ago. The complex carbon-rich molecules they contain may have provided some of the raw materials from which life originated on Earth.
Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 is thought to be a member of a relatively new class of objects called "Centaurs," of which 45 objects are known. These are small icy bodies with orbits between those of Jupiter and Neptune. Astronomers believe that Centaurs are recent escapees from the Kuiper Belt, a zone of small bodies orbiting in a cloud at the distant reaches of the solar system.
Two asteroids, 1996 GM36 (left) and 5238 Naozane (right) were serendipitously captured in the comet image. Because they are closer to us than the comet and have faster orbital velocities, they appear to move relative to the comet and background stars, thereby producing a slight elongated appearance. The Spitzer data have allowed astronomers to use thermal measurements, which reduce the uncertainties of visible-light albedo (reflectivity) measurements, to determine their size. With radii of 1.4 and 3.0 kilometers, these are the smallest main-belt asteroids yet measured by infrared means.
Description
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Release Date:
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2003/12/18
Release_Date
2003/12/18
Release Date
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Press Release:
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Press_Release
Press Release
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Release Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/D. Cruikshank (NASA Ames) & J. Stansberry (University of Arizona)
Release_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/D. Cruikshank (NASA Ames) & J. Stansberry (University of Arizona)
Release Credit
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Image Credit:
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NASA/JPL-Caltech/D. Cruikshank (NASA Ames) & J. Stansberry (University of Arizona)
Image_Credit
NASA/JPL-Caltech/D. Cruikshank (NASA Ames) & J. Stansberry (University of Arizona)
Image Credit
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Object name:
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P-29
Object_name
P-29
Object name
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Object name:
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Schwassmann-Wachmann 1
Object_name
Schwassmann-Wachmann 1
Object name
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Object type:
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Comet
Object_type
Comet
Object type
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Position (J2000):
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*RA: *22h19m47.40s *Dec: *-5d18m29.00s
Position_(J2000)
*RA: *22h19m47.40s *Dec: *-5d18m29.00s
Position (J2000)
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Distance:
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5.56 AU (distance from telescope at time of observation)
Distance
5.56 AU (distance from telescope at time of observation)
Distance
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Wavelength:
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24 microns
Wavelength
24 microns
Wavelength
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Image scale:
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24.3 x 15.9 arcmin
Image_scale
24.3 x 15.9 arcmin
Image scale
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Observers:
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Dale Cruikshank, Principal Investigator (NASA Ames Research Center)
John Stansberry, Principal Investigator (University of Arizona)
William Reach (SSC/Caltech)
Yanga Fernandez (University of Hawaii)
Michael Werner (JPL/Caltech)
George Rieke (University of Arizona)
Vikki Meadows (JPL & SSC/Caltech)
Observers
Dale Cruikshank, Principal Investigator (NASA Ames Research Center)
John Stansberry, Principal Investigator (University of Arizona)
William Reach (SSC/Caltech)
Yanga Fernandez (University of Hawaii)
Michael Werner (JPL/Caltech)
George Rieke (University of Arizona)
Vikki Meadows (JPL & SSC/Caltech)
Observers
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Instrument:
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MIPS
Instrument
MIPS
Instrument
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Exposure Date:
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Nov. 24, 2003, 15:20 UDT
Exposure_Date
Nov. 24, 2003, 15:20 UDT
Exposure Date
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Exposure Time:
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80 seconds per position
Exposure_Time
80 seconds per position
Exposure Time
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Orientation:
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North is rotated 115 degrees counterclockwise from the vertical
Orientation
North is rotated 115 degrees counterclockwise from the vertical
Orientation
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note:
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*Original image without overlays* Screen-Resolution (450x294): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2003-06j1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (658x430): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/D. Cruikshank (NASA Ames) & J. Stansberry (University of Arizona)
note
*Original image without overlays* Screen-Resolution (450x294): JPEG [ http://ipac.jpl.nas…ssc2003-06j1_small.j pg ] High-Resolution (658x430): JPEG | Mac TIFF | PC TIFF Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/D. Cruikshank (NASA Ames) & J. Stansberry (University of Arizona) note
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facet_what:
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Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
Spitzer Space Telescope
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Earth
facet_what
Earth
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Jupiter
facet_what
Jupiter
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Sun
facet_what
Sun
facet_what
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facet_what:
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MIPS
facet_what
MIPS
facet_what
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facet_what:
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Neptune
facet_what
Neptune
facet_what
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facet_where:
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Jupiter
facet_where
Jupiter
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Arizona
facet_where
Arizona
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Hawaii
facet_where
Hawaii
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Washington, D.C.
facet_where
Washington, D.C.
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Ames Research Center (ARC)
facet_where
Ames Research Center (ARC)
facet_where
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facet_where:
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Stennis Space Center (SSC)
facet_where
Stennis Space Center (SSC)
facet_where
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Image #:
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ssc2003-06j
Image_#
ssc2003-06j
Image #
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original url:
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original_url
original url
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UID:
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SPD-SPITZ-ssc2003-06 j
UID
SPD-SPITZ-ssc2003-06 j
UID
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