Posted on 03/09/2018 9:41:33 AM PST by BenLurkin
Ever since weve been able to get closer looks at comets in our Solar System, weve noticed something a little puzzling. Rather than being round, theyre mostly elongated or multi-lobed. This is certainly true of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P or Chury for short.) A new paper from an international team coordinated by Patrick Michel at Frances CNRS explains how they form this way.
The European Space Agency (ESA) spacecraft Rosetta visited 67P in 2014, end even placed its lander Philae on the surface. Rosetta spent 17 months orbiting 67P, and at its closest approach, Rosetta was only 10 km (6 mi) from 67Ps surface. Rosettas mission ended with its guided impact into 67Ps surface in September, 2016, but the attempt to understand the comet and its brethren didnt end then.
Though Rosettas pictures of 67P are the most detailed comet pictures we have, other spacecraft have visited other comets. And most of those other comets appear elongated or multi-lobed, too. Scientists explain these shapes with a comet merger theory. Two comets collide, creating the multi-lobed appearance of comets like 67P. But theres been a problem with that theory.
In order for comets to merge and come out looking the way they do, they would have to merge very slowly, or else they would explode. They would also have to be very low-density, and be very rich in volatile elements.
The comet merger theory also says that these types of gentle mergers between comets would have to have happened billions of years ago, in the early days of the Solar System.
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
They are not ‘round’ because they are not homogeneous, and they tumble instead of rotate................
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