Missions Archives

October 27, 2014December 23, 2015 by Fraser Cain

Rosetta’s 67P Comet Compared to Everything, Including the Death Star

67P compared to other comets, asteroids and Earth objects. Even the Death Star. Illustration by Judy Schmidt.

We’ve seen a bunch of pictures comparing Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko with all kinds of cities and objects on Earth, but it’s hard to put everything in perspective. Just how big is this thing? How big is it compared to other asteroids and comets we’ve imaged? What about more familiar objects, like the Burj Khalifa and Central Park?

How big is 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko compared to the Death Star?!?

Fortunately, our good friend Judy Schmidt @SpaceGeck took it upon herself to clear this all up. She created this wonderful infographic that shows 67/P surrounded by a bunch of other objects in the Solar System with a similar size. There’s Siding Spring, the Mars moon Deimos, 19P/Borrelly, 103P/Hartley, and others.

And then they’re compared to the Burj Khalifa, a blue whale, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and much more.

But most importantly, at the bottom of the image, you can see the slight curvature of a fully operational Death Star. Yeah… those things are pretty big.

Anyway, I highly recommend you check out Judy’s post about the illustration over on Flickr and read her behind the scenes commentary.

And while you’re at it, check out her previous illustration of 100 planetary nebulae in a single image.

Source: Judy Schmidt’s Flickr Page

October 24, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Comet Siding Spring Was Bleeding Hydrogen As It Sped By Mars

Comet Siding Spring shines in ultraviolet in this image obtained by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft. Credit: Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics/University of Colorado; NASA

As Comet Siding Spring passed close by Mars on Sunday (Oct. 19), NASA’s newest Mars spacecraft took a time-out from its commissioning to grab some ultraviolet pictures of its coma. What you see above is hydrogen, a whole lot of it, leaving the comet in this picture taken from 5.3 million miles (8.5 million kilometers).

The hydrogen is a product of the water ice on the comet that the Sun is slowly melting and breaking apart into hydrogen and oxygen molecules. Because hydrogen scatters ultraviolet light from the Sun, it shows up rather clearly in this picture taken by the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft.

Check out more recent pictures of Siding Spring below.

Is this an image of Comet Siding Spring? It's the only fuzzy object in the field photographed on Sol 3817 (October 19) by the Opportunity Rover. Click for original raw image. — Is this an image of Comet Siding Spring? It’s the only fuzzy object in the field photographed on Sol 3817 (October 19) by the Opportunity Rover. Click for original raw image.

Comet Siding Spring near Mars in a composite image by the Hubble Space Telescope, capturing their positions between Oct. 18 8:06 a.m. EDT (12:06 p.m. UTC) and Oct. 19 11:17 p.m. EDT (Oct. 20, 3:17 a.m. UTC). Credit: NASA, ESA, PSI, JHU/APL, STScI/AURA

Another photo, just in, taken of the comet and Mars today (Oct. 19) by Rolando Ligustri. Beautiful!

Comet 2013 A1 Siding Spring on October 17, 2014, with two days to go until its Martian encounter. Very dense Milkyway starfield in the background with many darker obscured regions. Credit and copyright: Damian Peach.

October 24, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Stinky! Rosetta’s Comet Smells Like Rotten Eggs And Ammonia

A view of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on Sept. 26, 2014 from the orbiting Rosetta spacecraft. Credit: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM

While you can’t smell in space — there is no medium to carry the molecules, the same reason you can’t hear things — you can certainly detect what molecules are emanating from comets and other solar system bodies. A new analysis of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko by the orbiting Rosetta spacecraft thus found a rather pungent chemistry combination.

The spacecraft detected hydrogen sulphide (the smell of rotten eggs), ammonia and formaldehyde with traces of hydrogen cyanide and methanol. But compared to the amounts of water and carbon monixide 67P has, these molecule concentrations are quite miniscule.

“This all makes a scientifically enormously interesting mixture in order to study the origin of our solar system material, the formation of our Earth and the origin of life,” stated the University of Bern’s Kathrin Altwegg, from the center of space and habitability.

“And after all: it seems like comet Churyumov was indeed attracted by comet Gerasimenko to form Churyumov-Gerasimenko, even though its perfume may not be Chanel No 5, but comets clearly have their own preferences.”

More seriously, astronomers do say that at three astronomical units (Earth-Sun distances) from the Sun, the comet is emitting more molecules than expected. The next step will be to compare Rosetta’s data with ground-based data of other comets to see if this is common.

Source: University of Bern

October 24, 2014December 30, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Videos: From Space, Lightning Looks Like Creepy White Blobs

Standing on the ground, we’re used to seeing the bolts and flashes of lightning during epic thunderstorms. But how would it look like from space? These three Vine videos from orbiting NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman provide a glimpse.

As you can see in these videos he uploaded to his Twitter account a few days ago, flashes and pools of light appear in this lightning storm over Kansas that he spotted from the International Space Station. Check out more below the jump. Continue reading “Videos: From Space, Lightning Looks Like Creepy White Blobs”

October 23, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Rosetta’s Comet Springs Spectacular Leaks As It Gets Closer To The Sun

This Rosetta image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko shows spectacular jets erupting from the small body on Sept. 10, 2014. Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

Jet! The comet that the Rosetta spacecraft is visiting is shedding more dust as machine and Solar System body get closer to the Sun.

While activity was first seen at the “neck” of the rubber-duckie shaped comet a few weeks ago, now scientists are seeing jets spring from across the comet.

This is just one signal of cometary activity picking up as 67P gets closer to the Sun. For the moment, it appears the prime landing site is still safe enough for Philae to land on Nov. 19, officials said, while noting there is a jet about a kilometer away that the lander can study when it gets there.

Jets spring from the "neck" area of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The smaller lobe is on the left, and the larger on the right. These images were taken about 7.2 kilometers (4.5 miles) from the surface. Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA — Jets spring from the “neck” area of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The smaller lobe is on the left, and the larger on the right. These images were taken about 7.2 kilometers (4.5 miles) from the surface. Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

“At this point, we believe that a large fraction of the illuminated comet’s surface is displaying some level of activity,” stated Jean-Baptiste Vincent a scientist from the Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) that took the pictures. He is with the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany.

The comet is about 470 million kilometers (292 miles) from the Sun and will make its closest approach in 2015. Rosetta is the first mission to orbit a comet as it gets close to the Sun, and Philae (if successful) will make the first “soft” landing on a cometary surface.

Source: European Space Agency

October 22, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

This 3-D Martian Picture Feels Like You’re Standing Beside The Opportunity Rover

A 3-D image of "Wdowiak Ridge" on Mars, based on images from the left and right side of the Opportunity rover's Pancam. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell Univ./Arizona State Univ.

Grab your 3-D glasses (you do have a pair handy, right?) and take a look at this latest vista from Mars. This is a view taken by the Opportunity rover that looks at a location nicknamed “Wdowiak Ridge”, on the rim of Endeavour Crater.

This mosaic was obtained Sept. 17 as Opportunity continued its journey to “Marathon Valley”, a spot that could hold clays (which would indicate a water-rich environment in the past.) The rover is more than a decade into its mission and has been sending back images amid battling Flash memory problems lately.

Check out more recent pictures below, including a probable one of Comet Siding Spring passing by Mars (which Bob King wrote about in detail earlier this week.)

“Wdowiak Ridge sticks out like a sore thumb. We want to understand why this ridge is located off the primary rim of Endeavour Crater and how it fits into the geologic story of this region,” stated Jim Rice, the Opportunity science-team of the Planetary Science Institute in Arizona.

More specifically, the team is interested in why this ridge is so prominent and sharp — they are calling it one of the most distinctive features Opportunity has ever seen. How it resisted erosion in an area so worn down is one thing scientists are hoping to learn about.

A Martian mosaic showing "Wdowiak Ridge", which the Opportunity rover imaged Sept. 17, 2014. The rover's tracks are visible at right. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell Univ./Arizona State Univ. — A Martian mosaic showing “Wdowiak Ridge”, which the Opportunity rover imaged Sept. 17, 2014. The rover’s tracks are visible at right. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell Univ./Arizona State Univ.

The last Opportunity rover update talks about activities through Sept. 30, but NASA has released raw images available since then. Check out a selection below.

The Opportunity rover at work on Mars on Sol 3,817 in October 2014. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

An image of Martian terrain with the Opportunity's rover solar panel just visible at the bottom of the panel. Picture taken Sol 3,817 in October 2014. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech — An image of Martian terrain with the Opportunity’s rover solar panel just visible at the bottom of the panel. Picture taken Sol 3,817 in October 2014. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

A dramatic, shadowy picture showing part of the Opportunity rover on Mars lit by the Sun (at top). Picture taken Sol 3,812 in October 2014. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The Opportunity rover's tracks dominate this image taken on Mars on Sol 3,807 in October 2014. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech — The Opportunity rover’s tracks dominate this image taken on Mars on Sol 3,807 in October 2014. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

October 21, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Could ‘Heavy Metal’ Frost Lurk Beneath Venus’ Hothouse Clouds?

A radar view of Venus taken by the Magellan spacecraft, with some gaps filled in by the Pioneer Venus orbiter. Credit: NASA/JPL

Talk about using old data for a new purpose! Researchers re-examining information from the completed NASA Magellan mission found signs of what could be “heavy metal” frost on the hell-like surface. What the researchers saw in radio-wave reflectance is the highlands appear brighter, with dark spots in the tallest locations.

What substance exactly is causing the patches on the surface is unknown, and it is extremely hard to make predictions given the difficulty of simulating Venus’ 900-degree Fahrenheit (500-degree Celsius) surface temperature, which is also 90 times Earth’s air pressure at sea level.

“Like on Earth, the temperature changes with elevation,” stated Elise Harrington, an Earth sciences undergraduate at British Columbia’s Simon Fraser University who led the research. “Among the possibilities on Venus are a temperature dependent chemical-weathering process or heavy metal compound precipitating from the air – a heavy metal frost.”

Venus' volcano Sapas Mons, which was imaged by the Magellan mission in 1991. Credit: NASA — Venus’ volcano Sapas Mons, which was imaged by the Magellan mission in 1991. Credit: NASA

Scrutiny of a previously examined area on Venus, the Odva Regio highlands, saw a low radar reflection at 2,400 meters (7,900 feet), which progressively gets brighter until dark spots begin appearing and reflections drop at 4,700 meters (15,400 meters).

While previous research spotted a few of these patches, Harrington and supervisor Allan Treiman (Lunar and Planetary Institute) saw hundreds. There’s no radar-imaging spacecraft in orbit around Venus right now, but the authors hope that the finding will generate more interest in this planet. (Of note, the European Space Agency’s Venus Express is finishing up a mission there now, which included several daring atmosphere-skimming maneuvers earlier this year.)

The research was presented at the Geological Society of America meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Source: Geological Society of America

October 21, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Martian Permafrost And Dust-Sculpted Surface Captured By NASA Spacecraft

Frost deposits in Louth Crater appears to remain through the year, as found in Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter HiRISE photos of the region. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

Mars was once thought to be a fairly unchanging planet, similar to the Moon. But now we know it is a planet that was shaped by water and other forces in the past — and that these forces still come into play today.

Above is a picture of permafrost deposits just discovered in Louth Crater. This find comes from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and you can see some of its latest water- and dust- shaped environments imaged below.

“A still-unexplained feature of this crater is the diffuse dark smudges visible on the crater floor,” read an update on the University of Arizona HiRISE website explaining this image. “These resemble ‘defrosting spots’ which are visible on carbon dioxide ice in the early spring, but they occur on frost-free areas and survive throughout the summer.”

The frost was caught in a HiRISE image early in the summer, and it persisted as controllers watched it through the summer — indicating that it is permanent. Its size did diminish somewhat, however. Scientists are pretty sure that this is water ice, as carbon dioxide can’t survive the summer.

See more new HiRISE photos below.

A close-up of "chaotic terrain" in Valles Marineris imaged by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE camera. Wind or fluid may have further shaped this region, which could be related to possible signs of an ancient lake found in other regions of Valles Marineris. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona — A close-up of “chaotic terrain” in Valles Marineris imaged by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s HiRISE camera. Wind or fluid may have further shaped this region, which could be related to possible signs of an ancient lake found in other regions of Valles Marineris. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

A section of the vast Valles Marineris ravine called Melas Chasma, a spot where sulfates (minerals formed in water) have been found before. The image shows layers of deposits that were formed before and after the formation of VAlles Marineris. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona — A section of the vast Valles Marineris ravine called Melas Chasma, a spot where sulfates (minerals formed in water) have been found before. The image shows layers of deposits that were formed before and after the formation of Valles Marineris. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

A section of Eastern Elysium Planitia imaged by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's HiRISE camera showing a possible old lava field near dust avalanches stirred up more recently. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona — A section of Eastern Elysium Planitia imaged by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s HiRISE camera showing a possible old lava field near dust avalanches stirred up more recently. Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

October 20, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

Titan’s Majestic Mirror-Like Lakes Will Come Under Cassini’s Scrutiny This Week

This colorized mosaic from NASA's Cassini mission shows the most complete view yet of Titan's northern land of lakes and seas. Saturn's moon Titan is the only world in our solar system other than Earth that has stable liquid on its surface. The liquid in Titan's lakes and seas is mostly methane and ethane. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASI/USGS

There’s a very early-stage NASA concept to take a submarine and dive into a lake of Titan, that moon of Saturn that has chemistry that could prove to be a similar precursor to what eventually formed life on Earth. The moon has weather and a hydrological system and an atmosphere, making it an exciting location for astrobiologists.

Luckily for scientists, the Cassini spacecraft beams back regular updates on what it sees at Titan. And this week comes yet another opportunity, as the machine whizzes by the moon to look for “mirror-like surface echoes” in a lake-filled region in Titan’s northern sector.

Principal among the targets will be Kraken Mare, a liquid hydrocarbon sea that is about five times the size of Lake Superior in North America. It’s an astounding 154,000 square miles (400,000 square kilometers). On this pass, Cassini is going to sail over the eastern area of the sea.

“Measurements of the absolute strength of the echo and its polarization properties, when detectable, yield important information about the surface status (liquid/solid), surface reflectivity, surface dielectric constant and implied composition, and surface roughness,” Cassini’s website says in a description of the T-106 flyby, which will take place Thursday (Oct. 23).

Saturn's moon Titan with Tethys hovering in the background. Image taken by the Cassini spacecraft. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute — Saturn’s moon Titan with Tethys hovering in the background. Image taken by the Cassini spacecraft. Credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

This is the second-to-last flyby Cassini will have of Titan in 2014, with the last one coming Dec. 10. In that case, the focus will be learning more about Titan’s atmosphere to learn more about measurement differences obtained by instruments on Cassini.

This past week, meanwhile, Titan has been busy looking at Saturn. It examined a northern aurora, looked at the planet’s F ring, and also searched for small satellites.

Scientists have been working at Saturn for the past 10 years with the Cassini mission, which is now entering a new phase as Saturn enters northern summer. This is expected to produce more changes on Titan, such as winds picking up, as more sunlight strikes the surface and atmosphere.

October 20, 2014December 23, 2015 by Elizabeth Howell

How Rosetta Will Send Philae Lander To Comet’s Surface (Plus, Landing Site Contest!)

The Rosetta spacecraft takes a selfie Oct. 7 with its target, 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, from an altitude of about 9.9 miles (16 kilometers). Credit: ESA/Rosetta/Philae/CIVA

The Philae spacecraft has a tough job ahead of it on November 12: it is slated to make the first landing on a comet’s surface. Riding piggyback on the Rosetta spacecraft, all indications are it is in good health and ready for the job; the team has even been taking the time for Philae to image spacecraft “selfies” with its target, Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, in the background.

And Rosetta will also be working hard, as the animation above shows us with the various maneuvers the spacecraft will be required to send Philae to the surface. Read more about these orbital changes below, as well as details of a contest to name the comet’s landing site.

As you can see in the animation, Rosetta starts in a 19 kilometer (11.8 mile) orbit, then moves down to the 10 km (6.2 mile) mapping orbit that it is right now.

Rosetta then does some maneuvers to get ready to send Philae to the surface, including a trajectory change about 2-3 hours before Philae’s landing. Rosetta will be about 22.5 km (14 miles) from the comet during the pre-separation phase. Then, the latter part of the animation shows Rosetta moving around to orbits ranging between 20 km and 50 km (12.4 miles and 18.6 miles) through December.

Meanwhile, here’s another way that certain people can get involved in the mission: the European Space Agency has a naming contest for the prime landing site!

“The rules are simple: any name can be proposed, but it must not be the name of a person,” ESA stated. “The name must be accompanied by a short description (up to 200 words) explaining why this would make the ideal name for such an historic location.”

Full contest rules and details are available here. Hurry as the deadline is Oct. 22!