No ‘Rubber Duckie’! Rosetta’s Comet Looks Weird In Decade-Old Hubble Model

universetoday.com ^ | on November 18, 2014 | Elizabeth Howell

[BenLurkin]

This Hubble Space Telescope model from 2003 shows us why. From afar, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is a tiny object to image, even for the NASA probe’s powerful lens. Back then, the telescope was tasked with examining the comet to look at its size and shape to better design the Philae lander spacecraft. And the model reveals no duckie; it looks more like a sombrero from some angles.

The main concern of scientists back then was redirecting Rosetta to a new target when its original comet (46P/Wirtanen) fell out of reach due to a launch delay. 67P was bigger and had a higher gravity, requiring scientists to make adjustments to Philae before landing, according to the release. So Hubble sprung into action to look at 67P. Below are the release images from that time.

[BenLurkin]

A 2003 illustration of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko based on Hubble Space Telescope observations. Credit: NASA, ESA and Philippe Lamy (Laboratoire d’Astronomie Spatiale)

[Army Air Corps]

Ping

[cripplecreek]

Hubble is looking for Kuiper belt objects for New Horizons to look at after its pass by Pluto next summer.

[Beowulf9]

They’ve come a long way in ten years!

[JPG]

Meanwhile, Voyager 1 & 2 soldier on:

http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/where/

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“it looks more like a sombrero “

Does it have Cha Cha Balls?

[SpinnerWebb]

Makes me wonder if Hubble got a half rotation in one image. Minimize the data by 50% and it’s ‘fairly’ accurate.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Army Air Corps, extra to APoD.