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Rosetta Discovery of Surprise Molecular Breakup Mechanism in Comet Coma Alters Perceptions
universetoday.com ^ | June 4, 2015 | Ken Kremer on

Posted on 06/05/2015 10:40:38 AM PDT by BenLurkin

Rosetta spacecraft has made a very surprising discovery – namely that the molecular breakup mechanism of “water and carbon dioxide molecules spewing from the comet’s surface” into the atmosphere of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is caused by “electrons close to the surface.”

The surprising results relating to the emission of the comet coma came from measurements gathered by the probes NASA funded Alice instrument and is causing scientists to completely rethink what we know about the wandering bodies, according to the instruments science team.

“The discovery we’re reporting is quite unexpected,” said Alan Stern, principal investigator for the Alice instrument at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado, in a statement.

...

Until now it had been thought that photons from the sun were responsible for causing the molecular breakup, said the team.

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


TOPICS: Astronomy
KEYWORDS: churyumovgerasimenko; comet; comet67p; comets; philae; photons; rosetta

1 posted on 06/05/2015 10:40:38 AM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

Where are the excess electrons coming from?......................


2 posted on 06/05/2015 10:42:09 AM PDT by Red Badger (Man builds a ship in a bottle. God builds a universe in the palm of His hand.............)
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To: Red Badger

static electricity? it is flying through a medium of sorts (solar wind)


3 posted on 06/05/2015 10:49:37 AM PDT by Mr. K (Palin/Cruz - to defeat HilLIARy/Warren)
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To: BenLurkin
No way- this is settled science! The EU is a bunch of Sunlight deniers!
4 posted on 06/05/2015 10:54:17 AM PDT by 11th Commandment ("THOSE WHO TIRE LOSE")
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To: Swordmaker

“the molecular breakup mechanism of “water and carbon dioxide molecules spewing from the comet’s surface” into the atmosphere of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is caused by “electrons close to the surface.” “

Electric comets ping!


5 posted on 06/05/2015 11:19:19 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Red Badger

Well, this was predicted by Electric Universe theorists. In that theory, the energy comes from the Sun. There is a charge imbalance between the Sun and the comet, and as the comet approaches the Sun, electricity discharges from the Sun to the comet to try to balance out the charges.


6 posted on 06/05/2015 11:26:44 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: BenLurkin

It seems like it’s still the photon that gets things started.


7 posted on 06/05/2015 11:29:38 AM PDT by JimSEA
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To: JimSEA

That’s how I read it. A photon knocks an electron loose which goes on to free more electrons.


8 posted on 06/05/2015 12:04:48 PM PDT by cripplecreek ("For by wise guidance you can wage your war")
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To: BenLurkin

At first glance that headline appears to be a series of randomly chosen words.


9 posted on 06/05/2015 12:18:18 PM PDT by WayneS (Yeah, it's probably sarcasm...)
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To: BenLurkin

This could be the start of a zot of epic proportions.


10 posted on 06/05/2015 12:33:58 PM PDT by WakeUpAndVote
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To: Red Badger
Where are the excess electrons coming from?......................

https://www.thunderbolts.info/wp/about/syn/

11 posted on 06/05/2015 1:13:09 PM PDT by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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To: BenLurkin; 1FreeAmerican; A. Patriot; AndrewC; antonia; aristotleman; Boogieman; Carilisa; ...
Well,, what do you know. . . the facts are coming in on Comet 67P and they are proving the water is being made by ELECTRONS ! Surprise, Surprise, Surprise. . . not for the Electric Universe Cosmologists, but it surprises the gravity centric cosmologists! PING!,p>

If you want on or off the Electric Universe Ping List, Freepmail me.

12 posted on 06/05/2015 5:02:14 PM PDT by Swordmaker ( This tag line is a Microsoft insult free zone... but if the insults to Mac users contnue...)
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To: BenLurkin

Well, color me confused. I think I recall reading an article a few months back that stated water was being FORMED by some mechanism I don’t understand, in this same general area. This article seems to contradict that mechanism by stating the water is being discharged from the comet itself. Which seems odd since the best I recall, there has been very little water detected in/on the comet. Have I missed something?


13 posted on 06/05/2015 8:41:50 PM PDT by ForGod'sSake (What part of "Fundamentally transforming the United States of America" don't the LIV understand?)
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To: Swordmaker
Thanks Swordmaker.

14 posted on 06/06/2015 4:29:07 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW!)
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To: JimSEA
It seems like it’s still the photon that gets things started.

That's a hypothesis proposed by the team. . . but they offer no proof. There are no measurements of the photon density to prove it. The question arises is why do they see comets flare far beyond Jupiter's orbit from time to time where the photon density is not high?

15 posted on 06/06/2015 7:51:00 AM PDT by Swordmaker ( This tag line is a Microsoft insult free zone... but if the insults to Mac users contnue...)
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To: ForGod'sSake
Have I missed something?

Nope. They still haven't found water in any appreciable amounts on the surface or even under it.

Their drill encountered resistance equal to rock when they tried to hammer into the surface, not resistance similar to ice. The ice anchors in the feet of the Phillae lander that were supposed to easily drill into the surface to "anchor" it on landing, didn't work because it the surface was not what was expected and the harpoon anchors anchors bounced from the surface as well. . . resulting in Phillae also bouncing seven times before it finally came to a rest on the surface of 67P. All of this happened because the engineers who designed the lander expected a surface composed of ice, not rock. Assumptions that are proving to be not true.

16 posted on 06/06/2015 7:57:41 AM PDT by Swordmaker ( This tag line is a Microsoft insult free zone... but if the insults to Mac users contnue...)
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To: Swordmaker
Assumptions that are proving to be not true.

Gotta wonder if at some point during the planning stage someone didn't ask the question, "What if our assumptions about the makeup of a comet are wrong?". These are presumably some of the best and brightest in the aerospace field and nobody challenged the conventional wisdom? Or, if someone did, were they ridiculed into silence? Just speculating...

All of which is academic at this point and we will probably never know why they almost blew an opportunity of a lifetime.

17 posted on 06/06/2015 5:55:35 PM PDT by ForGod'sSake (What part of "Fundamentally transforming the United States of America" don't the LIV understand?)
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