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About

Cyrielle Opitom is an astronomer whose research focuses on the physical and chemical evolution of comets and other small bodies in our solar system, with a particular emphasis on their activity as they approach the Sun. Her major contributions include detailed photometric monitoring of comets using robotic telescopes, most notably the TRAPPIST facility at La Silla Observatory. She has conducted extensive studies of the gas and dust production in comets 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy), and C/2012 S1 (ISON), isolating emissions from key daughter species such as OH, CN, C₂, and C₃ to understand their origins and evolution. Opitom also contributed to the discovery and characterization of the fast-evolving weather patterns on the brown dwarf binary WISE J104915.57-531906.1, the third closest system to the Sun. Her work on 67P’s perihelion activity, published in 2016, provided crucial insights into the comet’s peak activity during a challenging observational window. With papers accumulating over 100 citations, Opitom’s research is instrumental in advancing our understanding of cometary activity and the processes governing the behavior of icy bodies in the inner solar system.