Time to revisit Planetary Science Journal and its latest papers:
Kareta, T. Schambeau, C. A. Firgard, M. et al. Activity-induced Near-infrared Spectral Variability at 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, 2017-2022 119 adce07
Diotte, F. Lemelin, M. Doucet, F. R. et al. Laser-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy of Ice-regolith Mixtures: Implications for Measurements on Planetary Surfaces 121 adce75
Smith, L. R. Haenecour, P. Barnes, J. J. et al. Rare Phosphides and Nitrides in Igneous Clasts within Aqueously Altered Chondrites 122 adce00
Hu, S. Chen, Y. Li, X. et al. Classifying and Characterizing the Evolution of the Minimum Orbit Intersection Distance for Near-Earth Asteroids 128 add323
Kolokolova, L. Markkanen, J. Ludet, Q. et al. Characterization of the DART Ejecta Using Computer Modeling of the Ground-based and HST Photopolarimetric Data 137 adda47
Woodward, C. E. Bockélee-Morvan, D. Harker, D. E. et al. A JWST Study of the Remarkable Oort Cloud Comet C/2017 K2 (PanSTARRS) 139 add1d5
Comets: “like cats”, said David Levy. Fickle, spontaneous… or not, maddeningly. Kareta et al. try to ‘domesticate’ Comet 29P, by decoding its coma and tail emissions and effects.
And speaking of ice loss, Diotte et al. step through one method to study celestial bodies via landers. Some craft may carry a LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) instrument, as multiple Mars projects have. These tools zap a surface, and study the response of the material, to deduce its properties. Sending probes to space objects is already complicated, we want to understand LIBS without any surprises.
…aaand speaking of volatiles, we know carbonaceous chondrites hold organics- the precursors and feedstocks of life. Life needs carbon, hydrogen, and lesser elements like nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus. All are found in carbonaceous chondrites… and, as claimed by Smith et al., heavily processed material like magma remnants. They claim that the seeds of life are (at least a bit) found in unexpected asteroids.
From starting life, to ending it: planetary defense is finding, characterizing, and if necessary mitigating Earth threats. Mostly, this is discovering asteroids, and solving their orbits in search of an Earth intersection. And yet, ‘orbits’ are not eternal and unchanging. First, there’s our measurement error. Asteroids are also perturbed slightly by the planets, solar radiation pressure, etc. Hu et al. do the vital work of solving orbits better.
Then, on to mitigation: the DART mission struck Dimorphos, spraying a cloud of rock. However, only LICIACube got a close (resolved) look at that cloud. All other telescopes (of which there were no shortage) saw a flash, then a few pixels, spreading to more pixels. Kolokova et al. attempt to deduce the cloud properties from those pixels.
And back to cats again: Comet C/2017 K2, which has not been in the inner Solar System since prehistory, is surprising us on this current passage. Of course, that’s partly because we now have the James Webb Space Telescope, and can see details that would have eluded us just four years ago. What does JWST now see?