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[43.09] Deep Impact Photometry of the Nucleus of Comet 9P/Tempel 1

J.-Y. Li (University of Maryland), Deep Impact Science Team

Deep Impact has acquired high resolution images of the nucleus of comet 9P/Tempel 1 during its successful encounter with the comet, through all three imaging cameras onboard, obtaining resolutions up to 16 m/pixel prior to the impact. With the shape model (Thomas et al. 2005 DPS) developed from disk-resolved images, preliminary photometric analysis at phase angle 63^\circ shows a dark surface similar to those of other comets and dark type asteroids. The albedo of Tempel 1 is very close to what was predicted from early ground observations. Large albedo variations like what has been found on comet 19P/Borrelly (Buratti et al. 2004) are observed, possibly associated with geological units. Detailed Hapke's modeling will be performed for all eight wavelength samples spanning from 350 nm to 950 nm to reveal the detail photometric properties of the surface. Early ground-based data at small phase angles (<15^\circ), as well as the lookback images from Deep Impact after the encounter at large phase angles (117^\circ), will help constrain the phase law parameters of Tempel 1.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #3
© 2004. The American Astronomical Soceity.