logo
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 3 of 4 1 2 3 4
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
For the first time, scientists have spotted large patches of water ice on the surface of a comet , thanks to instruments aboard the European Space Agency's Rosetta orbiter. Scientists already knew that the coma - the expansive cloud of gas surrounding the comet's nucleus - is dominated by water molecules. They also knew that water ice is one of the main components of the nucleus. But until now, traces of water ice on the surface of the comet had been difficult to detect.

Last edited by Mona - Astronomy; 01/14/16 06:56 AM.

Mona Evans
For news, activities, pictures and more, sign up to the Astronomy Newsletter!

http://www.bellaonline.com/newsletter/astronomy
Sponsored Post Advertisement
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
If you look closely, you can see a heart-shaped boulder on the surface of Comet Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. It's Valentine greetings from the Rosetta Mission team.


Mona Evans
For news, activities, pictures and more, sign up to the Astronomy Newsletter!

http://www.bellaonline.com/newsletter/astronomy
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
Last week ground control made the decision not to send any more commands to the lander Philae, which has been silent since July 2015. The comet is moving farther from the Sun, so not only is there less sunlight to charge the batteries, but Philae's solar panels are likely to have acquired a coating of dust by now. In addition, temperatures drop to -180 degrees Celsius, which is too cold for the lander to function in any case.

Although Philae's landing didn't go as it should have, the lander but still completed “about 80% of its initial planned scientific activities,” according to ESA. Rosetta will still listen for communications, even though it's stopped sending new signals.

Here is a cute animation summarizing the Rosetta mission.


Mona Evans
For news, activities, pictures and more, sign up to the Astronomy Newsletter!

http://www.bellaonline.com/newsletter/astronomy
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
One of the two discoverer's of Rosetta's comet was the Ukrainian astronomer Svetlana I. Gerasimenko. She was born on February 23, 1945. The co-discoverer was fellow Ukrainian Klim Churyumov, director of the Kiev Planetarium. So if you'ever wondered how Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko got its name, now you know!


Mona Evans
For news, activities, pictures and more, sign up to the Astronomy Newsletter!

http://www.bellaonline.com/newsletter/astronomy
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
Rosetta is moving in closer to Comet 67P/c-G again. This NAVCAM image was taken on March 1, 2016, from 26.7 km away. In the image you see part of the large comet lobe, where the Imhotep region alopes down towards Bes. A jet of activity is clearly seen coming from the lower left edge.

Image Credits: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM – CC BY-SA IGO 3.0


Mona Evans
For news, activities, pictures and more, sign up to the Astronomy Newsletter!

http://www.bellaonline.com/newsletter/astronomy
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
A unique view of Comet ‪#‎67P‬/Churyumov-Gerasimenko seen by the Rosetta Mission on 10 April from the weekend's flyby at a distance of 30 km. The comet is seen here with the big lobe in front and with Rosetta positioned almost exactly between sun and comet. This unique observing geometry reveals optical characteristics of the surface that cannot be seen otherwise.


Mona Evans
For news, activities, pictures and more, sign up to the Astronomy Newsletter!

http://www.bellaonline.com/newsletter/astronomy
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30


Rosetta has found ingredients for life in the dusty halo around Comet C-G. They are the chemical elements glycine and phosphorus. Glycine is the simplest amino acid and one of the molecules needed to make proteins, while phosphorus is a key component of DNA and cell membranes.

It shows that comets could have brought organic molecules to the young Earth, key building blocks for life.


Mona Evans
For news, activities, pictures and more, sign up to the Astronomy Newsletter!

http://www.bellaonline.com/newsletter/astronomy
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
We haven't heard much about Rosetta lately, but that doesn't mean nothing is happening. Here is a video update from ESA about Rosetta. We learn that the spacecraft has been doing some low flying and there are plans to get her even closer to the surface before the mission ends in a few months.

The water found on Comet C-G isn't like water on Earth. Other comets might have brought water to Earth, but not this type of comet. However scientists have found glycine, an amino acid one of the building blocks of life. Very interesting.

Last edited by Mona - Astronomy; 07/12/16 04:04 AM.

Mona Evans
For news, activities, pictures and more, sign up to the Astronomy Newsletter!

http://www.bellaonline.com/newsletter/astronomy
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
The Rosetta mission has less than three months to go now. It is to end on September 30th with a controlled descent to the comet's surface. Rosetta has been in space for 12 years now, with two of them in the dusty environment of a comet. The craft has stood up well to all of this, but wouldn't be likely to survive the dark and cold of the most distant part of the orbit of Comet C-G. Rosetta relies on solar power and it's unlikely that there would be enough of it to keep the instruments from freezing.

Where will Rosetta be on September 30? The red line shows a section of the comet's orbit. As you can see, it's heading towards Jupiter's orbit.


Mona Evans
For news, activities, pictures and more, sign up to the Astronomy Newsletter!

http://www.bellaonline.com/newsletter/astronomy
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
OP Offline
BellaOnline Editor
Renaissance Human
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,890
Likes: 30
Yay! It's the cartoon version of Rosetta's second year on the comet. For kids of all ages, this little summary was released earlier this month.


Mona Evans
For news, activities, pictures and more, sign up to the Astronomy Newsletter!

http://www.bellaonline.com/newsletter/astronomy
Page 3 of 4 1 2 3 4

Moderated by  Mona - Astronomy 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Brand New Posts
MyHeritage & OldNews
by Angie - 03/16/24 09:15 AM
Psalm for the day
by Angie - 03/16/24 08:27 AM
Denmark's Oscar Entry "The Promised Land"
by Angela - Drama Movies - 03/15/24 08:51 PM
Stunning jewelry by Devon Leigh
by sarae - 03/15/24 12:58 PM
From Candlemas to March Equinox
by Mona - Astronomy - 03/14/24 07:35 PM
2024 - on this day in the past ...
by Mona - Astronomy - 03/14/24 07:12 PM
A Lenten Reflection
by Angie - 03/13/24 09:24 PM
Stitching by Hand
by Cheryl - Sewing Editor - 03/13/24 04:21 PM
Lucy Lawless Directs New Documentary
by Angela - Drama Movies - 03/12/24 05:47 PM
Inspiration Quote
by Angie - 03/10/24 03:09 PM
Sponsor
Safety
We take forum safety very seriously here at BellaOnline. Please be sure to read through our Forum Guidelines. Let us know if you have any questions or comments!
Privacy
This forum uses cookies to ensure smooth navigation from page to page of a thread. If you choose to register and provide your email, that email is solely used to get your password to you and updates on any topics you choose to watch. Nothing else. Ask with any questions!


| About BellaOnline | Privacy Policy | Advertising | Become an Editor |
Website copyright © 2022 Minerva WebWorks LLC. All rights reserved.


Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5