As a result of these measurements, we feel that the source of the activity observed in distant comets has been identified. By Occam's Razor, we accept that CO is responsible. The presence of near-surface CO in vast supply tells us immediately that the comets formed and have been stored in a cold place. It would be difficult to account for the CO if the comets formed at a temperature much in excess of 50K, and lower formation temperatures are possible. These temperatures are characteristic of heliocentric distances of order 30 to 50 AU, and place the origin of the nuclei in the Neptune region or the Kuiper Belt beyond.
Many interesting molecules have transitions in the submillimeter and millimeter wavelength regimes.
Sensitive observations at these wavelengths have become possible only in the last few years. This page presents some of the spectra obtained at our favorite submillimeter telescope, the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, located on our favorite shield volcano, Mauna Kea, Hawaii.