Scientists have mapped the surface of the nucleus of comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko

Despite the fact that the Philae probe is still not working, scientists from the project to study comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko managed to obtain a large amount of data about this object. On Thursday, scientists published a number of articles in Science, with information about the most important points about the comet.

“The picture is starting to take shape as a whole”, comments on the success of specialists Paul Weissman from the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Most of the materials published in Science, based on the analysis of data obtained by scientists from April to September. Data received later is being processed now and will also be published soon.

One of the articles states that most of the gases emanating from the cometary nucleus are mainly allocated from the “isthmus”, the most narrow part of the nucleus. In another article, scientists cite several images with the mapped surface of a comet. The heterogeneous parts are grouped by properties, and are named after Egyptian deities.
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The surface of the comet is very heterogeneous - there are peculiar "mountains", there are also depressions with a depth of about 200 meters.


In this photo and its more contrast version, one can distinguish bands that scientists have identified as gas jets escaping from under the surface.

The maximum activity of emissions will occur in August of this year, at the time of the maximum approach of the comet to the Sun. It is at this time that it will be possible to observe very active emissions of the substance of the cometary nucleus into outer space.

As mentioned earlier, the study of the comet is very important in the light of obtaining data on the evolution of the solar system. Scientists believe that the substance of the comet has not changed much over 4.5 billion years. It is possible, when analyzing the data obtained by scientists, it will be possible to explain how a large amount of water got to the Earth. Some data on the composition of cometary water has already astonished scientists - the fact is that there is much more deuterium (heavy hydrogen) in this water than in terrestrial water. Deuterium in "cometary water" is three times more than in terrestrial water. This may be evidence that comets were not the source of water for the earth.

As for the probe, the chances of restarting the probe are very high. The comet is approaching the Sun, its position relative to the star is changing and on the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko the summer will soon come. With a high degree of probability, we can say that the sun's rays will begin to fall directly on the photocells of the probe, and the latter will receive the necessary amount of energy for work. Before Philae turned off, scientists managed to rotate the probe 35 degrees, orienting the batteries directly to the light source.



Now all you can do is wait. “I am confident that we will re-establish contact with Philae and will be able to use scientific instruments,” says the head of the Rosetta mission, Stefan Ulamek.