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B.E.A. Mueller (NOAO), A.M. Heinrichs (Ohio State Univ. & NOAO), N.H. Samarasinha (NOAO)
Comet 28P/Neujmin 1 was observed in April 2002 for 4 consecutive nights at the CTIO 1.5m telescope in the broadband V, R, and I filters. The rotational lightcurve observations in R yield a preliminary rotation period of 12.7±0.1 hours, in excellent agreement with determinations from Delahodde et al. (2001) and Jewitt and Meech (1988). Our observations in R cover 80% of the rotational phase for a double peaked lightcurve. The peak to peak variation in the lightcurve is 0.56 mag, giving a lower limit of the nuclear axial ratio a/b of 1.7.
Our V and I observations partially cover a rotational phase and show no evidence of a variation in the V-R or R-I colors. Colors and an effective radius will also be determined.
Our lightcurve analysis will be put into context with all previous data. For this purpose we will apply model simulations and will present the results at the meeting.
This work was supported by a grant from the NASA Planetary Astronomy Program. AMH acknowledges funds from the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) Program.
References:
Delahodde, Meech, Hainaut, & Dotto 1981. A&A 376, 672
Jewitt & Meech 1988. Ap.J. 328, 974
If the author provided an email address or URL for general inquiries,
it is as follows:
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34, #3< br> © 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.