- 1707 - Comet being studied by Rosetta spacecraft. We are learning the composition of a comet that is 4,600,000,000 years old. It was born when the Solar System was first formed.
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--------------------------- - 1707 - Comet being studied by Rosetta spacecraft
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- This picture of the comet landscape is amazing. This “ dirty snowball” is 4,600,000,000 years old. We have 2 spacecraft, one lander and one in orbit, that are analyzing the composition of the comet. Its composition should be unchanged since the Solar System first formed.
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- The spacecraft took a journey of 10 years to reach this comet orbiting between Mars and Jupiter.
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- The size of the Comet 67P is measured in two lobes. One lobe is 2.5 by 2.0 By 0.8 miles and the smaller lobe is 1.6 by 1.6 by 1.2 miles. See Review # 1692 to learn how the first calculations put the volume at 9,400 million cubic meters. With that estimate the density came out to be 300 kilograms per cubic meter.
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- ------------------------------ Density = Mass / Volume
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--------------------------------- Density = (2.8 * 10^12 kilograms) / (9.4 *10^9 meter^3)
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-------------------------------- Density = 300 kg / m^3
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- This new calculation after more measurements were made put the density higher at 400 kg / m^3. The volume at 7,000 million cubic meters.
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------------------------------- Density = (2.8 * 10^12 kilograms) / (7.0 *10^9 meter^3)
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------------------------------- Density = 400 kg / m^3
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- This density for the comet is less than half that of pure water which is 1,000 kg / m^3. The comet would float in the Pacific Ocean, if it landed softly enough. But, so would the planet Saturn if the ocean was big enough. Saturn’s density is 687 kg/m^3.
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- Here is the density profile of the Solar System objects in kilograms per meter ^3:
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-------------------------------- Saturn ----------- 687 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Ash -------------- 800 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Water ----------- 1000 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Uranus --------- 1271 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Jupiter ---------- 1326 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Sun -------------- 1408 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Sugar ------------ 1600 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Neptune -------- 1638 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Pluto ----------- 1830 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Titan ----------- 1880 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Granit ----------- 2700 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Moon ----------- 3344 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Europa ---------- 3018 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Diamond -------- 3510 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Mars ------------- 3933 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Titanium -------- 4500 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Venus ------------ 5243 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Mercury -------- 5427 kg / m^3
-------------------------------- Earth ------------ 5514 kg / m^3
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- Earth is one of the densest objects in the Solar System. As the comet approaches closer to the Sun it will start to outgas and create a comet tail. This will allow a detailed analysis of the comet’s composition. Already some of the elements have been identified:
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--------------------------------- Water ---------------------------- H2O
--------------------------------- Carbon monoxide --------------- CO
--------------------------------- Carbon dioxide ----------------- CO2
--------------------------------- Ammonia ----------------------- NH3
--------------------------------- Methane ------------------------ CH4
--------------------------------- Methanol ----------------------- CH4O
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- The spacecraft will stay with the comet for another year ( See Review #1696 ). Its closest approach to the Sun will occur in August 2015. Stay tuned, there is much more to learn.
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(1) Comets put simply are a planet that did not get formed from all the pieces in the early Solar System. Asteroids are pieces the same as comets but they are denser and rocky orbiting between Mars and Jupiter. Comets are icy pieces outside the orbit of Neptune. Of course, gravitational disturbances for all these pieces flying around often send a piece away from its home.
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(2) Other Reviews available on the subject:
#1623 - Comets are dirty snowballs.
#1612 - How many comets make a close flyby?
# 1600 - Comet ISON
# 1338 - Did comets bring water to Earth?
#1316 - The 5 comets we have visited.
#1292 - Using Calculus to measure the mass of a comet.
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RSVP, with comments, suggestions, corrections. Index of reviews available ---
--- Some reviews are at: -------------------- http://jdetrick.blogspot.com -----
---- email request for copies to: ------- jamesdetrick@comcast.net ---------
---- https://plus.google.com/u/0/ , “Jim Detrick” ----- www.facebook.com ---
---- www.twitter.com , --- 707-536-3272 ---- Saturday, December 20, 2014 ---
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