Rosetta suggests the presence of ice on the neck of Comet 67P – Terra Colombia

captured by the color filters of Osiris instrument Rosetta images suggest the presence of ice on the neck of Comet 67P / Churyumov-Gerasimenko, called Hapi region, reported the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research ( MPS) from its headquarters in Goettingen.

The images studied by computer scientists Osiris show that comet neck -habitual reflects red light in the nuclei of comets and other primitive bodies, such as asteroids example less effectively than most other regions, so its appearance is slightly blue

In addition, in recent months, this area has been particularly active. many sources of dust and gas that comet launched into space, originate there.

In this sense, studying the reflectance characteristics of the comet’s surface, scientists confirmed that the Hapi region is unique and its blue color could indicate the presence of water ice mixed with dust from the surface.

“While color variations on the surface of 67P are small, can give us important clues” says Holger Sierks, head the Osiris team.

According to Sonia Fornasier, the Paris Observatory and member of the Osiris team, we know that “reflectance characteristics are directly concerned with the morphology of the surface.”

The Rosetta spacecraft is equipped with additional tools to identify directly the presence of ice on the surface, because the color filters of Osiris can only represent a limited range of wavelengths.

So, Virtis spectrometer, for example, can clearly identify the spectral fingerprints of water molecules.

“We are very curious to see if our cues from these measurements are confirmed,” says Sierks.

The images of Osiris instrument were taken on a filter 989, 700 and 480 nanometers on August 21, 2014, when the Rosetta spacecraft approximately 70 miles from the comet was.

“When Comet 67P scope in August this year its shortest distance from the Sun, it was very hot, except for the Hapi region, which then remain in the dark and experience a kind of polar night,” Fornasier explains

The neck of the comet “only receive sunlight again from March 2016,” he adds.