Another Comet LINEAR Breaks Up
Credit: E. Jehin et al.,
VLT YEPUN,
ESO
Explanation:
Last year, a
different comet LINEAR
(C/1999 S4) broke up.
This year, a comet
first imaged by the
Lincoln Near Asteroid Research
(LINEAR) telescope in
New Mexico on
2001 January 3, is also breaking up.
This new Comet LINEAR
(C/2001 A2) unexpectedly brightened to the edge of naked-eye
visiblilty a few weeks ago when its nucleus broke in two.
Observations taken just last week
now indicate that one of the two remaining
nuclear fragments
has again fragmented.
The first piece to break off is visible on the upper left of the above
false-color image by a
Very Large Telescope,
while additional fragmentation is inferred
from the brightness and elongation of the
spot on the lower right.
When a
comet nucleus splits,
new surfaces are exposed and previously trapped ice and gas
are released that evaporate and brighten in the energetic sunlight.
Comet LINEAR may remain visible with little or no optical aid
into early June.
In contrast, at least two other much dimmer
Comet
LINEARs discovered recently appear stable.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
