Rotation period of comet C/2022 E3 ZTF from CN morphology
ATel #15879; M. M. Knight (U. S. Naval Academy), C. E. Holt (University of Maryland), K. M. Villa (U. S. Naval Academy), B. A. Skiff (Lowell Observatory), D. G. Schleicher (Lowell Observatory)
on 30 Jan 2023; 23:31 UT
Credential Certification: Matthew Knight (astromatthew@gmail.com)
Referred to by ATel #: 15909
We report on imaging of comet C/2022 E3 ZTF obtained during 2023 Jan. 22, 25, 26, and 27 UT using the Lowell Observatory Hall 42in (1.1-m) telescope and on 2023 Jan. 26 UT using the 4.3-m Lowell Discovery Telescope. Enhanced narrowband CN images reveal two side-on corkscrews with central axes aligned approximately east-west. Nearly identical morphology was seen in numerous pairs of images acquired one to four nights apart. The apparent period (i.e., when features appeared to match) is 8.7 +/- 0.1 hr. Data obtained throughout the night on several nights eliminate the possibility of apparent periods less than 6 hr. The morphology repeated approximately 2 hours later on each successive night, but the ensemble eliminated this apparent period (~26 hr) as well as aliases (e.g., 13 hr). Enhanced dust, OH, and CO+ images exhibited significantly different morphology from CN, and all had little discernible variation.
