2011l4 20130522 miles

  
Taken through an Astrodon V filter  
as part of a long-term photometry project. The project started when the  
comet was at 16.3 degrees solar elongation. 
 
In some ways this comet is untypical/unusual in that the brightness of the  
inner coma is declining in a very steady fashion with zero evidence of  
outburst activity. The very extensive synchronic bands seen soonafter  
perihelion were also very evenly distributed / symmetrical and these two  
characteristics may be related to the spin rate and direction of the polar  
axis (obliquity) of its nucleus, as well as to its composition. 
 
Orbital plane crossing is scheduled to take place some 4.0 days after these  
images were taken. 
20130522 Richard Miles