ASIACO: Asiago Spectroscopy and Imaging Atlas of COmets

TL;DR

The ASIACO project compiles a comprehensive, ongoing atlas of comet imaging and spectroscopy from Asiago Observatory, providing valuable data for studying cometary properties and behaviors.

Contribution

It introduces a new, extensive dataset of comet observations, including images and spectra, collected over more than a decade, which is publicly accessible for scientific research.

Findings

Monitored 41 comets with imaging and spectroscopy.

Enabled studies on comet tail extent and nucleus orientation.

Provided data for compositional analysis and production rates.

Abstract

The ASIACO project is an atlas of cometary imaging and spectroscopy obtained from the Asiago Astrophysical Observatory between 2012 and 2024, still ongoing. Up to now, we monitored 41 comets, acquiring broad-band images using the INAF-OAPd 1.82m Copernico and the 0.67/0.92m Schmidt telescopes, as well as low-to-medium resolution spectra with the DFA-UniPd 1.22m Galileo Telescope. Our dataset offers significant scientific potential, enabling studies on the true extent of cometary tails, orientation of nuclei spin axes, retrieval of compositional data, and determination of production rates for key molecular and atomic species. The Atlas will become publicly available for scientific research, and the project remains active, continuously adding monitored comets.