Harvard Astronomers Discover NEOs That Are Dormant, Short-Period Comets
In a new study, scientists from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics reveal that between about 0.3 and 3% of the moderately bright NEOs are actually…
Comet
NASA Comet Hitchhiker Would Take Tour of Small Asteroids and Comets
Comet Hitchhiker is in Phase I study through the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Program. Its goal is to use the kinetic energy of comets and…
Rosetta Views Comet 67P Making Its Closest Approach to the Sun
ESA’s Rosetta Spacecraft views Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko making its closest approach to the Sun, coming within 186 million km of the Sun. In the year that…
Rosetta Spacecraft Views an Outburst from Comet 67P
A new set of images from the European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft shows a short-lived outburst from comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft…
Rosetta Monitors Active Pits on Comet 67P
A newly published study reveals that 18 quasi-circular pits in the northern hemisphere of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko’s are responsible for its halo of dust and gas….
Rosetta Uncovers Unexpected Processes at Work in Comet’s Coma
Rosetta’s continued study of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko has revealed an unexpected process at work that causes the rapid breakup of water and carbon dioxide molecules spewing…
Rosetta and Philae Reveal That Comet 67P is Not Magnetized
New data from Rosetta and Philae reveal that the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is not magnetized. Studying the properties of a comet can provide clues…
An Unusual Comet Skimmed Past the Sun
A new comet was discovered sling-shotting around the sun by ESA/NASA’s SOHO. The comet is not from any known family of comets. An comet circles…
A Closer Look at the Icy Conditions of Comets
New research from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory used a cryostat instrument, nicknamed “Himalaya,” to study the icy conditions under which comets form. Astronomers tinkering with…
Research Shows a Significant Increase in the Amount of Water “Pouring” Out of Comet 67P
Data from ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft revelas that there has been a significant increase in the amount of water “pouring” out of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the comet…
NEOWISE: One Year of Observations Mapped
NASA reviews the past 12 months of NEOWISE discoveries with a short video that shows the progression of the NEOWISE survey in the year after…
Rosetta Data Reignite Debate on the Origin of Earth’s Oceans
The Rosetta spacecraft has discovered that the composition of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko’s water vapor is significantly different from that found on Earth, reigniting the debate on…
Space Agencies Across the Globe Prepare to Explore Comets and Asteroids
With Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s recent launch of the Hayabusa2 mission, NASA and other space agencies across the globe are opening up new possibilities for…
Philae Lander Makes Historic First Landing on Comet 67P
After more than a decade in space, ESA’s Philae lander has made the first-ever soft landing of a spacecraft on a comet. Mission controllers at…
Philae Lander Makes Soft Landing on Comet 67P
The European Space Agency has confirmed that the Philae lander has successfully reached the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. This is the first time in history…
Rosetta Spacecraft Picks Up a Mysterious “Song” from Comet 67P
As ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft prepares to dispatch its Philae lander to the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, a set of instruments on Rosetta has picked up…
Spacecraft Reveal Siding Spring’s Effects on Martian Atmosphere
Data from several spacecraft have revealed that debris from Comet Siding Spring added a temporary and very strong layer of ions to the ionosphere of…
How to Land on a Comet Moving 40 Times Faster Than a Speeding Bullet
A new four minute ScienceCast video previews the first-ever landing on a comet. Showing how difficult it will be for the Philae lander since comet…
