Jupiter-Family Comet Shoemaker-Levy 3

Spitzer_sig05-008b_1024

spitzer_sig05-008b July 18th, 2005

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/W. Reach (SSC/Caltech)

This image of the Jupiter-family comet Shoemaker-Levy 3 was taken with Spitzer's multiband imaging photometer (MIPS) at a wavelength of 24 microns.

The long thin trail of emission that precisely follows the orbit of the comet is believed to be a debris trail of solid material, ranging from millimeters to centimeters in size. Such particles, called meteoroids, are the same size as those that appear in meteor showers when they enter the Earth's atmosphere. Because any trace of water would evaporate in the Sun's heat, astronomers do not believe that debris trails contain ice.

These meteoroids have evaded detection in previous comet images because they are relatively faint in visible light. At mid-infrared wavelengths, meteoroids give off infrared radiation. Any object with an internal temperature higher than absolute zero (-273.5 degrees Celsius or zero Kelvin) produces thermal radiation; objects in the inner solar system give off radiation at mid-infrared wavelengths. Consequently, MIPS allows astronomers to study the production of meteoroids by comets whose orbits do not cross the Earth's path.

Spitzer images have also shown that there is more mass in the debris trails of comets than in their dust tails and gases.

The results of Spitzer's observations are consistent with those obtained by space probes that encountered comet Halley in 1986. In Halley's case, large particles produced by the comet were not only detected, but caused significant damage to the probes.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2424-sig05-008b-Jupiter-Family-Comet-Shoemaker-Levy-3

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy

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Image Details

Image Type
Observation
Object Name
Shoemaker-Levy 3
Subject - Solar System
Interplanetary Body > Comet > Tail > Dust
Interplanetary Body > Comet > Tail
Interplanetary Body > Comet > Coma

Color Mapping

  Telescope Spectral Band Wavelength
Pseudocolor Spitzer (MIPS) Infrared (Mid-IR) 24.0 µm
Spectrum_ir1
Pseudocolor
Spitzer_sig05-008b_1280
×
ID
sig05-008b
Subject Category
A.2.2.3.1.   A.2.2.3.   A.2.2.2.  
Subject Name
Shoemaker-Levy 3
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/W. Reach (SSC/Caltech)
Type
Observation
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Spitzer
Instrument
MIPS
Color Assignment
Pseudocolor
Band
Infrared
Bandpass
Mid-IR
Central Wavelength
24000
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
Equinox
Reference Value
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Spitzer Space Telescope
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
sig05-008b.tif
Metadata Date
2012-10-11
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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There is no distance meta data in this image.

 

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