Program: GN-2015B-Q-18

Main belt comet 238P/Read, one of three MBCs that has been seen with repeated activity, is expected to be active later this year. We plan to construct a detailed model of its activity through the 2016 perihelion passage as it is the target of our proposed NASA Discovery mission. We request 2.6 hrs using Gemini/GMOS to obtain deep images to search for low-surface brightness dust comae in August and September before it goes into solar conjunction. This will allow us to establish when activity begins{important input parameters for thermal models. With only three MBCs known to exhibit repeat activity, characterizing the thermal evolution of their activity is a key factor in understanding the distribution of ice in the asteroid belt.