The discovery and evolution of a possible new epoch of cometary activity by the Centaur (2060) Chiron

Centaurs are small solar system objects on chaotic orbits in the giant planet region, forming an evolutionary continuum with the Kuiper Belt objects and Jupiter-family comets. Some Centaurs are known to exhibit cometary activity, though unlike comets, this activity tends not to correlate with heliocentric distance, and the mechanism behind it is currently poorly understood. We utilize serendipitous observations from the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, Zwicky Transient Facility, Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System, Dark Energy Survey, and Gaia in addition to targeted follow-up observations from the Las Cumbres Observatory, TRAnsiting Planets and PlanetesImals Small Telescope South (TRAPPIST-South), and Gemini North telescope to analyze an unexpected brightening exhibited by the known active Centaur (2060) Chiron in 2021. This is highly indicative of a cometary outburst. As of 2023 February, Chiron had still not returned to its prebrightening magnitude. We find Chiron's rotational lightcurve, phase curve effects, and possible high-albedo surface features to be unlikely causes of this observed brightening. We consider the most likely cause to be an epoch of either new or increased cometary activity, though we cannot rule out a possible contribution from Chiron's reported ring system, such as a collision of as-yet-unseen satellites shepherding the rings. We find no evidence for a coma in our Gemini or TRAPPIST-South observations, though this does not preclude the possibility that Chiron is exhibiting a coma that is too faint for observation or constrained to the immediate vicinity of the nucleus

Beginning Of Activity In Long-Period Comet C/2015 Er61 (Panstarrs)

We report the beginning of activity for comet C/2015 ER61 (PANSTARRS), the first instance of watching a long-period comet turn on. Pre-discovery observations and observations from the NEOWISE space telescope suggest that the nucleus is large, with a radius of R N ∼ 9 km, assuming an albedo of 0.025. Our photometric data follows the comet from r = 8.9 to 4.8 au as it moved into solar conjunction in 2016 July. Our sublimation model shows that activity began near r = 8.8 au (true anomaly, TA = -139°) in early 2015, driven by CO2 sublimation, which peaked in 2016 April at r = 5.1 au (TA = -127°). Appreciable water sublimation began around r = 5.0 au. Our sublimation model is consistent with an active water sublimation area of 1% of the surface (equivalent to 10.2 km2), and an active surface area for CO2 sublimation of 0.029% (0.3 km2). The CO2 production rate at r = 4.66 au as measured by NEOWISE is (8.4 ± 2) ×1025 s-1. If CO2-ice had been present on the surface, dust dragged from the surface by sublimation would have been observed much farther out - as far as 20 au. Our thermal models suggest that the CO2 ice was present at a depth of 0.4 m. The comet came out of solar conjunction in 2016 December and, unless it brightens significantly, is unlikely to have water production rates much higher than a few ×1028 s-1

A New Analysis Of Spitzer Observations Of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1

We present a new analysis of Spitzer observations of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 taken on UT 2003 November 21, 23, and 24, similar to a previous investigation of the observations (Stansberry et al., 2004), but using the most recent Spitzer data pipeline products and intensive image processing techniques. Analysis of images from the IRAC 5.8 and 8.0μm bands and the MIPS 24.0 and 70.0μm bands resulted in photometry measurements of the nucleus after a suite of coma modeling and removal processes were implemented. SW1 was not identified in the 5.8μm image from the previous work so its incorporation into this analysis is entirely new. Using the Near Earth Asteroid Thermal Model (Harris, 1998) resulted in a nucleus radius measurement of R=30.2-2.9+3.7km and an infrared beaming parameter value of η=0.99-0.19+0.26. We also measured an infrared geometric albedo, p5.8=0.5±0.5. Extrapolating a 0.04V-band albedo and using a normalized reflectivity gradient S\u27=14.94±1.09 [% (1000Å)-1] (Duffard, R., et al. [2014]. Astron. Astrophys. 564, A92) we recover an infrared albedo of p5.8=0.31 in the near infrared consistent with the value recovered from thermal modeling. The dust composition extracted from IRS spectra are very comet-like, containing mainly amorphous ferromagnesian silicates (but with a minority of crystalline silicates as well), water ice, and metal sulfides

Analysis Of R-Band Observations Of An Outburst Of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 To Place Constraints On The Nucleus’ Rotation State

We present analysis of five nights of R-band observations of Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 (SW1) taken on September 2008 which show the comet undergoing an outburst. Coma morphology shows a projected asymmetric shell of material expanding radially and four linear features on the northern side of the coma at position angles 37°, 78°, 300°, and 353°. Using the measured projected radial outflow velocity of 0.11 ±0.02 km/s for the shell material, we calculate an outburst time of UT 2008-09-21.03 ±0.95 days. By tracking the inner and outer extent of the northern linear features, we found that the features are fully contained within the expanding shell of material. This suggested both shell and linear features originated during the same event and activity originating from different regions on the nuclear surface are not necessary to generate both types of morphological structure observed. A 3-D Monte Carlo coma model was used to model the outburst. Morphological features present in the observations were modeled allowing constraints to be placed on the spin state of SW1’s nucleus. The evolution of morphological features allows constraints on the rotation period P assuming an outburst duration Δt and the spin period constraints are expressed in terms of their ratio P/Δt. Since the spin-pole orientation could not be constrained, four spin-pole orientations were chosen for modeling the coma. Spin-period constraints for each assumed pole orientation are discussed. Overall, modeling suggested either a spin period on the order of days, a spin-pole orientation nearly along the sub-Earth direction, or a combination of both. To place an independent constraint on the outburst duration, radial surface-brightness profiles of the observations were compared with profiles from synthetic models, giving an upper-limit of Δt ≤ 1.5 days. Longer outbursts resulted in a higher number of dust grains in close proximity to the nucleus during the observations and a profile slope too steep to model observations. Lastly, from photometry of the five nights of observation, a lower limit of (1.8 ± 0.07) × 109 kg was estimated for the total amount of dust emitted during the outburst. Assuming the outburst was triggered by either the sublimation of pure CO or CO2 ice and a dust to gas ratio of ∼4 (Rosetta results for Comet 67P, Rotundi et al. 2015), a lower limit for the outburst duration on the order of hours was obtained

The LCO Outbursting Objects Key Project: Overview and Year 1 Status

The LCO Outbursting Objects Key (LOOK) Project uses the telescopes of the Las Cumbres Observatory (LCO) Network to (1) systematically monitor a sample of previously discovered over the whole sky, to assess the evolutionary state of these distant remnants from the early solar system, and (2) use alerts from existing sky surveys to rapidly respond to and characterize detected outburst activity in all small bodies. The data gathered on outbursts helps to characterize each outburst’s evolution with time, helps to assess the frequency and magnitude distribution of outbursts in general, and contributes to the understanding of outburst processes and volatile distribution in the solar system. The LOOK Project exploits the synergy between current and future wide-field surveys such as ZTF, Pan-STARRS, and LSST, as well as rapid-response telescope networks such as LCO, and serves as an excellent test bed for what will be needed for the much larger number of objects coming from Rubin Observatory. We will describe the LOOK Project goals, the planning and target selection (including the use of NEOexchange as a Target and Observation Manager or “TOM”), and results from the first phase of observations, including the detection of activity and outbursts on the giant comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli–Bernstein) and the discovery and follow-up of 28 outbursts on 14 comets. Within these outburst discoveries, we present a high-cadence light curve of 7P/Pons–Winnecke with 10 outbursts observed over 90 days, a large outburst on 57P/duToit–Neujmin–Delporte, and evidence that comet P/2020 X1 (ATLAS) was in outburst when discovered