Rosetta Comet Chasing is covered in dust, according to … – RTVE

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Rosetta probe the European Space Agency (ESA) has been taking temperature, for the first time , the comet ‘chasing’ the last ten years, the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko . These data allow the probe to have a greater knowledge of the area.

Rosetta is scheduled to land on the comet in November, while this comes closer to the star of the solar system.

when the temperature was taken, 67P was 553 million miles from the sun and had an average surface temperature of -70 ° C , from 20 to 30 ° C more than expected for a comet at that distance from the star, as reported by the ESA.

This data reveals, therefore, that the comet is “too hot to be covered in ice” and instead must be covered by a dark crust and dust .

Rosetta to do these observations by the thermal and infrared images obtained by the VIRTIS spectrometer between 13 and 21 July, when Rosetta was about 14,000 miles away more than 5,000 km of altitude.

“This result is very interesting, as it gives us the first clues on the composition and physical properties of the surface of comet , “said principal investigator VIRTIS, Fabrizio Capaccioni, INAF-IAPS (Rome, Italy).

Other comets as 1P/Halley have very dark surfaces because dust cover. The comet chasing Rosetta has a low reflectance, as is apparent from ground-based observations, excluding a totally “clean” icy surface.

So, notes ESA temperature measurements provide direct confirmation that much of the surface should be dust , as the darker material is heated and emits heat more easily than ice when exposed to sunlight.

“This not exclude the presence of relatively clean ice plates, however, and soon, VIRTIS will be able to allow the generation of maps showing the temperature individual characteristics , “added Dr. Capaccioni.

In addition to global measurements, the sensor is planning study daily variation of surface temperature from specific areas of the comet. The goal is to quickly understand how the surface reacts about solar lighting.

These data provide clues to the thermal conductivity, density and porosity of the top ten centimeters from the surface of the comet, they information important to decide the place to Philae will land , the Rosetta probe holder.