Seasonal forecasts for 67P/C-G
▻http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2015/02/09/seasonal-forecasts-for-67pc-g
Based on the press release of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Germany. Scientists from #Rosetta’s OSIRIS team have been analysing the images of #Comet_67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and comparing them to a thermal model to estimate how much material the various parts of the #comet will lose through Sun-driven sublimation during one orbit. That is, as the Sun heats the comet, ices sublimate and the resulting gases drag dust into the comet’s coma. The results predict that the southern half of the comet will undergo dramatic changes in the coming months, losing a surface layer several metres thick, while the northern half will likely be much less affected by the Sun-driven erosion. Followers of this blog might be familiar with the geography of Comet 67P/C-G, but it’s worth (...)
