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Rosetta Wows With Amazing Closeups of Comet 67P Before Final ‘Crunchdown’
universetoday.com ^ | Bob King

Posted on 09/30/2016 3:01:23 PM PDT by BenLurkin

Rosetta fell silent moments after 6:19 a.m. Eastern Time (12:19 UT) this morning, when it gently crashed into 67P/C-G 446 million miles (718 million km) from Earth. As the probe descended to the comet’s bouldery surface of the comet in free fall, it snapped a series of ever-more-detailed photographs while gathering the last bits data on the density and composition of cometary gases, surface temperature and gravity field before the final curtain was drawn.

(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy
KEYWORDS: 67p; comet; rosetta
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1 posted on 09/30/2016 3:01:23 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: lonevoice

Just wow.


2 posted on 09/30/2016 3:05:49 PM PDT by Pride in the USA
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To: BenLurkin

We're saved!!

3 posted on 09/30/2016 3:08:05 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: BenLurkin
Here is one from way up high,

And just before impact,

4 posted on 09/30/2016 3:21:32 PM PDT by outofsalt ( If history teaches us anything it's that history rarely teaches us anything)
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To: outofsalt

Epic reply! Funniest thing I have seen in this day and age of bad political news. Well done Sir or Madame!


5 posted on 09/30/2016 3:24:50 PM PDT by buckalfa (I am deplorable.)
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To: buckalfa
Ok, so, here is a picture of my Pride and Joy.

6 posted on 09/30/2016 3:28:26 PM PDT by outofsalt ( If history teaches us anything it's that history rarely teaches us anything)
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To: outofsalt

All your clean humor is so out-of-date in this dirty profane age of obama. :)


7 posted on 09/30/2016 3:34:06 PM PDT by Vision Thing (You know the depths of my heart, and You love me the same...)
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To: BenLurkin

A great Bump! This is fascinating!


8 posted on 09/30/2016 3:41:21 PM PDT by Loud Mime (Liberalism: Intolerance masquerading as tolerance)
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To: Pride in the USA

Thank you! Those pics are amazing. I loved this last line of the article: “At impact, Rosetta was shut down and no further communication will or can be made with the spacecraft. It will continue to rest on the comet for well-nigh eternity until 67P vaporizes and crumbles apart.”


9 posted on 09/30/2016 4:03:31 PM PDT by lonevoice (Life is short. Make fun of it.)
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To: BenLurkin

What sort of gravity can a comet exert? There are stones and loose rubble lying around everywhere in those photos.


10 posted on 09/30/2016 4:14:20 PM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: BenLurkin

...and the last thing you see is a wide-eyed alien looking up, horrified.


11 posted on 09/30/2016 4:22:08 PM PDT by PLMerite (Compromise is Surrender: The Revolution...will not be kind.)
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To: BenLurkin

Cool pics. I remember my father bringing home a book with the photographs a Ranger probe took as it approached the moon. Pretty cool stuff in the 1960s.


12 posted on 09/30/2016 5:04:23 PM PDT by 17th Miss Regt
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To: BenLurkin

Cool pics. I remember my father bringing home a book with the photographs a Ranger probe took as it approached the moon. Pretty cool stuff in the 1960s.


13 posted on 09/30/2016 5:04:34 PM PDT by 17th Miss Regt
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To: RegulatorCountry
What sort of gravity can a comet exert?

... Plenty!


14 posted on 09/30/2016 5:15:12 PM PDT by dr_lew (I)
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To: BenLurkin
6:19 a.m. Eastern Time (12:19 UT)

Someone's time zone converter must be having a rough day.

15 posted on 09/30/2016 5:20:38 PM PDT by Zeppo ("Happy Pony is on - and I'm NOT missing Happy Pony")
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To: RegulatorCountry

A handy rule of thumb I invented for myself is based on Newton’s law of attraction expressed in terms of density.

g = GM/R2 = G rho R3/R2 = G rho R

So for objects of comparable density, the surface gravity is proportional to R. Supposing the comet is 1/1000 the radius of earth and of comparable density says that the surface gravity is g/1000 ...

... rule of thumb!


16 posted on 09/30/2016 5:41:47 PM PDT by dr_lew (I)
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To: BenLurkin

Litterbugs.


17 posted on 09/30/2016 5:45:56 PM PDT by Moonman62 (Make America Great Again!)
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To: dr_lew

If it is largely an iron-based comet, then it should have plenty of gravity. Otherwise it would just be a trail of dust particles in space.

Even an ice and stone comet has to have some gravity to it.

After all, we do have to appreciate the gravity of this topic.


18 posted on 09/30/2016 5:55:54 PM PDT by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: Moonman62

Yes, but it’s better to have one big pile of litter in one place, rather than two smaller piles in separate places.


19 posted on 09/30/2016 6:24:25 PM PDT by coloradan (The US has become a banana republic, except without the bananas - or the republic.)
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
Even an ice and stone comet has to have some gravity to it.

I'm sure the comet is less dense than the earth. Give it a factor of 2, so g/2000 ... Rule of thumb!

20 posted on 09/30/2016 6:51:24 PM PDT by dr_lew (I)
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