Sungrazer Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON): Curve of light, nucleus size, rotation and peculiar structures in the coma and tail

TL;DR

This study analyzes comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) using ground-based amateur telescopes, revealing its nucleus size, rotation period, dust production, and peculiar coma and tail structures, including outbursts.

Contribution

First detailed ground-based observational analysis of comet ISON's nucleus, dust production, and structural features before and after perihelion.

Findings

Nucleus radius approximately 830 meters.

Detected a 3-day rotation period.

Observed significant dust production and outbursts.

Abstract

We present our results for comet (ISON). Our results were obtained with amateur telescopes observing from the ground, before and after the comet had passed conjunction with the Sun in August 2013. We measured a mean radius of 830 +- 245 m, and we have identified a persistent structure in the direction of the sun with a preliminary rotation period of approximately 3 days. In the tail are visible peculiar structures linked to the production of dust by the nucleus. Our data Af(rho) (AHearn et al. 1984), a physical parameter that indicates the amount of dust produced, is approximately 500+-50 cm in the quite phase which means a production Qdust=500kgxsec^-1 equal to 43.2x10^6 kg per day. A considerable amount for a small comet. We have also detected two major outbursts in January, 2013 and November, 2013, and minor outbursts throughout the observation period. Key words: General: general; comets: C2012 S1 (ISON), ISON, comets, afrho, photometry of aperture, flux, apparent magnitude, absolute magnitude, fragmentation.