Rosetta detects possible presence of ice on the comet – El Siglo Durango

Science Friday 13 Mar 2015, 1:51 pm – note May 3

By: EFE

mages captured by the color filters of Osiris instrument of the Rosetta spacecraft suggest the presence of ice neck 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 less effectively than . most other regions, so its appearance is slightly blue

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

In this sense, studying the reflectance characteristics of the comet’s surface, scientists confirmed that the Hapi region is unique and that its blue color could indicate the presence of frozen water 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 of 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 instruments directly to identify the presence of ice on the surface, as Osiris color filters can represent only a limited range of wavelengths.

Thus the 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 the instrument Osiris 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 the comet 67P scope in August This year its shorter relative to the Sun, distance become very hot, except for the Hapi region at that time remains in darkness and experience a kind of polar night, “Fornasier explains Neck comet” will only receive back sunlight from March 2016, “adds

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