The Compact Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) observed comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring as the comet sped close to Mars on Oct. 19. CRISM recorded imaging data in 107 different wavelengths, showing the inner part of the cloud of dust, called the coma, surrounding the comet’s nucleus…. The appearance of color variations in the CRISM observations of the inner coma could be due to the properties of the comet’s dust, possibly dust grain size or composition. The full spectra will be analyzed to better understand the reason for the color variations… [More at link]
CRISM: Comet nucleus in infrared
This entry was posted in Reports and tagged Comet C/2013 A1, Comet Siding Spring, Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, CRISM, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, NASA. Bookmark the permalink.