Low dispersion spectroscopy of the comet 8P/Tuttle
Abstract
Spectra of comets offer an opportunity to examine chemical composition of their comae in great details. Comets are very good "laboratories" to study transitions in atoms and molecules that cannot be observed on Earth. On the 10^th of January 2008, periodic comet 8P/Tuttle was observed in a spectroscopic mode with the 2-Channel Focal Reducer (FoReRo2) at the 2-m RCC Telescope of the Rozhen National Astronomical Observatory (NAO), in a framework of an international campaign. The spectrum of the comet was absolutely calibrated in units of erg/cm^2/s/Å. The main cometary emissions: CN, C_3, C_2, NH_2 and O[I], are identified. We present a preliminary analysis of the fluxes in the observed emission bands and an estimation of the continuum gradient. The results presented here are part of an extended observational program for monitoring of the gaseous and dust components of comet 8P/Tuttle.
- Publication:
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Bulgarian Astronomical Journal
- Pub Date:
- 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008BlgAJ..10...59B
- Keywords:
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- comets;
- spectrum;
- 8P/Tuttle