{"id":8742,"date":"2014-09-05T11:37:20","date_gmt":"2014-09-05T15:37:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=8742"},"modified":"2014-09-05T11:37:20","modified_gmt":"2014-09-05T15:37:20","slug":"rosetta-images-comet-67-pc-g-emissions-landing-sites-under-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=8742","title":{"rendered":"Rosetta images comet 67 P\/C-G emissions; Landing sites under study"},"content":{"rendered":"

The European Space Agency’s\u00a0Rosetta<\/a>\u00a0spacecraft circling Comet 67P\/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is sending lots of great pictures of the odd duck-shaped object:\u00a0CometWatch \u2013 2 September – Rosetta Blog<\/a><\/p>\n

In the\u00a0two lower images shown below, you can see the faint traces of dust and water vapor emissions, signs that the comets tail is starting to form as the comet moves closer to the sun. Bob King at Universe today has combined the images\u00a0and heightened the contrast in a way to enhance the\u00a0“jets” :\u00a0New Mosaic Reveals Jets Blasting from Rosetta\u2019s Comet – Universe Today<\/a><\/p>\n

Jets or sprays of vaporizing ice are what gives a comet its lively appearance. Dust released with water vapor is ultimately pushed back by the pressure of sunlight to grow 67P\/C-G\u2019s dust tail. Ultraviolet light from the sun causes volatiles within the vapor to fluoresce a pale blue, creating a second ion or gas tail. The coma or comet atmosphere is a mix of both.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"ESA_Rosetta_NAVCAM_20140902_montage-1024x1024[1]\"<\/p>\n

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Rosseta is also carrying a separate spacecraft called Philae that will land onto the comet. Where it will land is still not settled:<\/p>\n