Rotation of comet 103P/Hartley 2 from structures in the coma

Abstract

The CN coma structure of the NASA EPOXI mission target, comet 103P/Hartley 2, was observed during 20 nights from 2010 September to December. These CN images probe the rotational state of the comet's nucleus and provide a ground-based observational context to complement the EPOXI observations. A dynamically excited cometary nucleus with a changing rotational rate is observed, a characteristic not seen in any comet in the past. The lack of rotational damping during the four-month observing interval places constraints on the interior structure of the nucleus. © 2011. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..