Spectroscopic observations of comet Giacobini-Zinner during the ice encounter

A set of 5 sequential spectra of Comet Giacobini-Zinner was obtained during the encounter of the ICE spacecraft with that comet on September 11, 1985. The observations were initiated 20 min before the encounter and were conducted in 10 min-long intervals until approximately 40 min after the event. The spectra were taken along a direction nearly coincident to the axis of the cometary tail and cover a distance of approximately 74 000 km at the comet. The preliminary analysis of the data indicates that the measured brightness intensity of CN at 3884 Å and that of the continuum at 5215 Å was nearly constant throughout the period of observation.