The European Space Agency’s Rosetta probe is observing a comet in deep-space that is shedding over half a pint of water every second. Using the Microwave Instrument for Rosetta Orbiter, the probe is able to measure the water vapor coming off the 67P comet, even from 220 thousand miles away.
The European Space Agency’s Rosetta probe is observing a comet in deep-space that is shedding over half a pint of water every second.
Using the Microwave Instrument for Rosetta Orbiter, the probe is able to measure the water vapor coming off the 67P comet, even from 220 thousand miles away.
Sam Gulkis, the instrument’s principal investigator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California is quoted as saying: "We always knew we would see water vapour outgassing from the comet, but we were surprised at how early we detected it. At this rate, the comet would fill an Olympic-size swimming pool in about 100 days.”
Rosetta was launched in 2004 and its mission is to observe the 67P comet, which it will start to follow around the Sun in August of this year, after it completes six more approach maneuvers to have its flight path aligned with the orbit of the comet.
“This spacecraft’s mission is to study the comet at close range as its transforms from a quiet nebit of ice and rock, frozen solid by years spent in deep space to a sun warmed dynamo.” [Via NASA]
The space probe will send a lander to study the comet’s surface with a variety of different scientific experiments.
