Emilygrey - Flywheelsites News
Recent observations by epoxi indicate that comet 103p/hartley 2 has a nucleus that is highly elongated and about 2. 2 kilometers [1. 4 mile] long, and that it rotates around itself about once every 18 hours. We interpret this (som) as an excited state of rotation with each cycle corresponding to precession of the long axis of the nucleus around the angular momentum vector, with a period of 18. 34 hours at Γ’β¬Β¦ Differences in overall shape are dramatic, as are the differences in contrast between the nuclei and their associated jets, which are brighter than the nucleus at halley and hartley 2 and much fainter than the Γ’β¬Β¦
We detected short-term evolution of the spectral line profile, which was stimulated by the nucleus rotation, and which provides evidence for rapid deceleration and excitation of the rotation state. We detected short-term evolution of the spectral line profile, which was stimulated by the nucleus rotation, and which provides evidence for rapid deceleration and excitation of the rotation state.
