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Sub-Topics
2005
2006
NewsPapers
- -Rosetta Probe Lands on Comet (New York Times)
"The comet — known inelegantly as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko — is a small, irregular glob of ice, dust and rocks less than three miles across, with a boulder-strewn surface that has only a small number of spots suitable for landing."
"Rosetta has already scored two significant firsts. It is the first spacecraft to fly alongside and orbit a comet, not just fly by it, and it will stay close for more than a year to observe the comet as it goes from a quiescent state to an active emitter of gases as it draws closer to the sun. It will be the most sustained research ever conducted on one of these elusive bodies. Rosetta is also the first spacecraft to send an automated probe to the surface of a comet, allowing close study of its composition. Previous probes have landed on various planets, moons and asteroids."
"The flight presented formidable technical challenges. The spacecraft could not carry enough fuel for a direct journey, so it looped around Earth and Mars to gain speed before heading toward the comet’s orbital path. During its serpentine journey, Rosetta was forced to hibernate for two and a half years to conserve power."
The study had a number of mishaps and most of the findings from successes have not been revealed. However, it can be noted that "an instrument on the spacecraft came up with readings at odds with scientific speculation that comets like this one may have bombarded Earth with enough water over the ages to fill much of the oceans." 11-14
Projects
- -Probe Lands on Comet (Christian Science Monitor)
"Philae, the European Space Agency's little comet lander that could, has shown the world that a third landing – however unintended – is a charm."
"The craft is healthy and is returning data from the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko after sending mission scientists and controllers on an emotional roller coaster ride – one in which two key systems designed to help the craft anchor itself to the comet failed."
"Yet even accomplishing the 60-hour program would yield a bonanza of new information about comets – rubble left over from the dawn of the solar system. These objects are thought to be among the construction leftovers that delivered water and organic compounds to Earth, laying the foundation for life to emerge on Earth." 11-14
- -Probe Lands on Comet (New York Times)
"On Wednesday, at 4:05 a.m. Eastern time, the 220-pound lander, named Philae, detached from the Rosetta spacecraft and was pulled downward by the gravity of the comet, known as 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Signals from Rosetta will take nearly 30 minutes to travel more than 300 million miles to mission control in Darmstadt, Germany." 11-14
- Comet Dust Sparks Scientific Interest (MSNBC News)
"Scientists say comets represent the cold leftovers from the solar system's beginnings, 4.5 billion years ago. The Stardust samples confirm that the material thrown off by Comet Wild 2 has not undergone chemical change for billions of years, Brownlee said: 'It's never been hot.' " 02-06
- Comet Hunter - Countour (Contour.org)
Provides news about Countour, an unmanned spacecraft or probe that is designed to study several comets. 8-02
- Comet Hyakutake (NASA)
Provides information on the comet. 10-09
- Comet of the Century Tracker (Time.com)
"A spectacular cosmic sky show could be coming in the form of a mountain-sized comet. Hurtling toward us from billions of miles away, it will reach its fiery peak on Nov. 28, when it nears the sun. Here's a tool that can tell you exactly the path it's following—as well as the path of other comets that have come before." 11-13
- Comets (Hamilton)
Includes pictures, articles, and links.
- Comets (KidsAstronomy.com)
Provides a picture and information on comets. 11-00.
- First Close-up Picture of a Comet (Fox News)
"NASA said Saturday it has captured dozens of close-up images of a distant comet that show the frozen ball of rock and ice spewing jets of dust and gas into space." "The Stardust spacecraft...took 72 images of the dark nucleus of comet Wild 2 during a derring-do flyby Friday that occurred 242 million miles from Earth." 1-04
- Questions About Comets (ASK and Astronomer for Kids)
Provides questions and answers for kids and adults. 01-06
- Spacecraft Arrives on Earth With Comet Sample (Bloomberg.com)
"A NASA capsule carrying pieces of a comet landed safely at a U.S. Air Force testing range in the Utah desert this morning after a two-year journey aboard the agency's Stardust spacecraft." 01-06
- The Amazing Comet ISON (CNN News)
""Comet ISON has the potential to be among the brightest comets of the last 50 years," Dennis Bodewits, an astronomer at University of Maryland at College Park, told NASA." 06-13
- Comet Properties (University of California)
Provides activities to study the properties of comets. 3-01
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