Interplanetary Station Rosetta: the first data on the study of the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Most recently, the Rosetta interplanetary station carried out the third key maneuver to reduce speed, and took a picture of the comet Churyumova Gerasimenko . In addition, some of the station’s scientific instruments went into operation , and the first results of the station’s work are ready.

The station examined the emissions of water by a comet (almost every comet ejects quite significant amounts of water vapor), and scientists were able to calculate how much water is released per second.
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It turned out that a comet now throws into space about 300 ml of water every second (for clarity, scientists talk about two small plastic cups, of which they usually drink water). Water emissions data is obtained using the Microwave Instrument for Rosetta Orbiter (MIRO) tool. Scientists are very pleased with the sensitivity of the instrument, and they say that they are surprised at how early (one month before coming closer to the comet) they managed to measure the quantitative loss of water by the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

By the way, the current evaporation rate is quite high - for 100 days, evaporated water with current volumes will be enough to fill the Olympic pool. The closer to the Sun this object is located, the more evaporation will take place, so that, most likely, it will be possible to speak not about “cups per second, but about large volumes”.

Water is one of the main components of comets, including also such compounds as carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide), methanol and ammonia.

The study of the expiration of water vapor is an important task that makes it possible to trace the evolution of cometary matter, to investigate the influence of evaporation on the movement of celestial bodies close to a comet, and also to explain the processes of evolution of the Solar System. It is possible that the study of comets will help to explain the appearance of water on our planet.

Via esa