Scientists release initial results from Rosetta
Posted: Fri, Jan 23, 2015, 8:10 AM ET (1310 GMT)
Scientists working on ESA's Rosetta mission have released the initial analysis of data collected by the spacecraft as it studied comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The findings, published in the journal Science and released on Thursday, show that the comet's oddly-shaped nucleus is very porous, with a porosity of 70-80%, suggesting the comet's interior consists of ice-dust "clumps" with spaces between them. Images of the comet's surface also showed dust ripples and "wind-tails" likely created by gas escaping from the comet. Rosetta has imaged about 70% of the comet's surface, with the rest having been in shadow since the spacecraft's arrival in August. Scientists also used Rosetta images to try and identify where the Philae lander ended up, but were not able to spot the small spacecraft in high-resolution images of the region where the believe Philae came to rest.
Scientists working on ESA's Rosetta mission have released the initial analysis of data collected by the spacecraft as it studied comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The findings, published in the journal Science and released on Thursday, show that the comet's oddly-shaped nucleus is very porous, with a porosity of 70-80%, suggesting the comet's interior consists of ice-dust "clumps" with spaces between them. Images of the comet's surface also showed dust ripples and "wind-tails" likely created by gas escaping from the comet. Rosetta has imaged about 70% of the comet's surface, with the rest having been in shadow since the spacecraft's arrival in August. Scientists also used Rosetta images to try and identify where the Philae lander ended up, but were not able to spot the small spacecraft in high-resolution images of the region where the believe Philae came to rest.
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