Jane Luu
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Preperihelion Development of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS Open
We describe preperihelion optical observations of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS taken during 2025 July–September using the Nordic Optical Telescope. Fixed aperture photometry of the comet is well described by a power-law function of heliocen…
Multiple Outbursts of Halley-type Comet 12P/Pons–Brooks Open
We present optical observations of the Halley-type comet 12P/Pons–Brooks (12P) on its approach to perihelion. The comet was active even in the first observations at ∼8 au. Starting at ∼4 au, 12P exhibited an extraordinary series of outburs…
Multiple Outbursts of Halley-Type Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks Open
We present optical observations of Halley type comet 12P/Pons-Brooks on its approach to perihelion. The comet was active even in the first observations at about 8 au. Starting at 4 au, 12P exhibited an extraordinary series of outbursts, in…
Demise of Kreutz Sungrazing Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) Open
Most Kreutz family sungrazing comets are discovered only days before perihelion, severely limiting observational opportunities to study their physical nature and decay. Kreutz sungrazer C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) was discovered a month before reach…
Continuous Fragmentation of Comet 157P/Tritton Open
We observed the split comet 157P/Tritton in October - November 2022 and January 2024 with the Nordic Optical Telescope (NOT). Our observations show that the splitting continued during the entire observing campaign. Fragmentation was associ…
Demise of Kreutz Sungrazing Comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) Open
Most Kreutz family sungrazing comets are discovered only days before perihelion, severely limiting observational opportunities to study their physical nature and decay. Kreutz sungrazer C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) was discovered a month before reach…
Continuous Fragmentation of Comet 157P/Tritton Open
We observed the split comet 157P/Tritton in 2022 October–November and 2024 January with the Nordic Optical Telescope. Our observations show that the splitting continued during the entire observing campaign. Fragmentation was associated wit…
Comet 108P/Ciffreo: The Blob Open
Short-period comet 108P/Ciffreo is known for its peculiar double morphology, in which the nucleus is accompanied by a comoving, detached, diffuse “blob.” We report new observations of 108P/Ciffreo taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and …
Comet 108P/Ciffreo: The Blob Open
Short-period comet 108P/Ciffreo is known for its peculiar double morphology, in which the nucleus is accompanied by a co-moving, detached, diffuse 'blob'. We report new observations of 108P/Ciffreo taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and…
’Oumuamua as a Cometary Fractal Aggregate: The “Dust Bunny” Model Open
The first known interstellar object, 1I/2017 U1 ’Oumuamua, displayed such unusual properties that its origin remains a subject of much debate. We propose that ’Oumuamua’s properties could be explained as those of a fractal dust aggregate (…
'Oumuamua as a Cometary Fractal Aggregate: the "Dust Bunny" Model Open
The first known interstellar object, 1I/2017 U1 'Oumuamua, displayed such unusual properties that its origin remains a subject of much debate. We propose that 'Oumuamua's properties could be explained as those of a fractal dust aggregate (…
The Interstellar Object ’Oumuamua as a Fractal Dust Aggregate Open
The first known interstellar object ’Oumuamua exhibited a nongravitational acceleration that appeared inconsistent with cometary outgassing, leaving radiation pressure as the most likely force. Barring the alien lightsail hypothesis, an ul…
Episodically Active Asteroid 6478 Gault Open
We present imaging and spectroscopic observations of 6478 Gault, a ∼6 km diameter inner main-belt asteroid currently exhibiting strong, comet-like characteristics. Three distinct tails indicate that ultra-slow dust (ejection speed 0.15 ± 0…
The Discus Comet: C/2014 B1 (Schwartz) Open
Long-period comet C/2014 B1 (Schwartz) exhibits a remarkable optical appearance, like that of a discus or bi-convex lens viewed edgewise. Our measurements in the four years since discovery reveal a unique elongated dust coma whose orientat…