Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (often referred to simply as 67P) is a short-period comet that orbits the Sun every 6.45 years. It was first discovered in 1969 by Soviet astronomers Klim Churyumov and Svetlana Gerasimenko at the Kiev University Observatory in Kiev, Ukraine. Here are some detailed facts about this comet:
- Discovery: Initially, Churyumov and Gerasimenko were examining photographs of another comet, 32P/Comas Solà, when they noticed a new comet on one of the images. This comet was later named 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in honor of its discoverers.
- Physical Characteristics:
- The comet has an unusual "rubber duck" shape with two distinct lobes. Its nucleus measures approximately 4.3 by 4.1 by 1.6 kilometers.
- Its surface is dark, with an albedo of about 4%, making it one of the darkest objects in the Solar System.
- It consists primarily of water ice, frozen gases, and dust, with a porous structure.
- Orbit:
- 67P's orbit is elliptical, taking it from near the orbit of Jupiter at its furthest point (aphelion) to just inside the orbit of Mars at its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion).
- Its orbit was altered by a close encounter with Jupiter in 1959, which shortened its orbital period from 7.1 years to its current 6.45 years.
- Rosetta Mission:
- In 2014, the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft became the first to orbit a comet, specifically 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
- The mission included the Philae lander, which made the first-ever soft landing on a comet's surface on November 12, 2014. Unfortunately, Philae bounced several times before coming to rest in a shadow, which limited its operations due to insufficient sunlight for its solar panels.
- Over two years, Rosetta collected detailed data on the comet's composition, surface, and activity, including dust and gas emissions as the comet approached and passed through its perihelion in August 2015.
- Scientific Findings:
- Observations from Rosetta have provided insights into the comet's composition, including the presence of complex organic molecules, suggesting that comets might have delivered some of the building blocks of life to Earth.
- Studies of 67P have also helped understand the processes involved in comet activity, such as outgassing and dust ejection, which are driven by solar heating as the comet nears the Sun.
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