Articles tagged with Comets
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A team of scientists from Russia and abroad observed Comet 29P using the SOAR Telescope, discovering that its dust environment is primarily composed of magnesium-rich silicate particles. This finding provides an important constraint on the comet's chemical composition and sheds light on the origins of this Centaur object.
Researchers at University of Hawaii at Manoa discovered that phosphates, a key element in life's building blocks, were generated in outer space and delivered to early Earth via meteorites or comets. This breakthrough suggests that the origins of life on Earth may have been influenced by extraterrestrial materials.
Researchers at Far Eastern Federal University are working on a new method to determine the ratio of dust and gas in comets' tails and heads. This will help scientists better understand the Solar System's evolution and formation.
Before its scientific missions, NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) caught a comet in stunning images. The comet, C/2018 N1, was located about 29 million miles from Earth and moved across the frame as it orbited the Sun.
Scientists have found that comet 67P's molecular oxygen is not produced on its surface, contradicting previous theories. The majority of the molecular oxygen in the coma is likely primordial and originated from the comet's body.
An international team of scientists confirmed that ?Oumuamua, the first known interstellar object, experienced an unexpected speed boost as it passed through the inner solar system. The team found that the object's trajectory suggested behavior consistent with a comet.
New Hubble data reveals `Oumuamua is most likely a comet, venting material from its surface due to solar heating. The boost in speed, detected by NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, suggests cometary outgassing.
Researchers found that `Oumuamua is venting material from its surface due to solar heating, causing a tiny boost in speed. This outgassing behavior is typical for comets and contradicts the previous classification of `O'uamua as an interstellar asteroid.
A team of astronomers led by Marco Micheli and Karen Meech found that Oumuamua was not slowing down due to gravitational forces alone, pointing to non-gravitational perturbations similar to those experienced by comets. Despite initial classification as an asteroid, the object's trajectory and behavior are more consistent with a comet.
Researchers have found evidence of pre-solar interstellar dust in glassy grains called GEMS, which were formed in a cold environment. The discovery provides insight into the solar system's formation and the processes that created the planets.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab used infrared light and electron microscopy to study interplanetary particles, finding they contain pre-solar dust leftover from the solar system's formation. The dust, consisting of carbon, ices, and disordered silicate, was mostly destroyed by planet formation processes.
Researchers integrated NASA's New Horizons discoveries with ESA's Rosetta mission data to develop a new theory about Pluto's formation at the edge of our solar system. The 'giant comet' cosmochemical model suggests Pluto formed from agglomeration of comets or Kuiper Belt objects similar to 67P.
Columbia University researchers develop a method to spin artificial fibers that mimic the nanostructures and optical properties of comet moth cocoon fibers, achieving exceptional cooling abilities and reflectivity. The new fibers can block sunlight and guide light signals with high efficiency.
A new study by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center team has calculated how 'Oumuamua fits into our understanding of planetary system development. The object, a fresh perspective on planetary formation, was likely ejected from a distant star system and is helping scientists constrain planet formation models.
A team of researchers proposes a new scenario for the formation of Comet Chury, suggesting it formed through a gentle encounter between two comets, preserving its primordial composition. This process allows for the survival of small bodies like Chury, which would otherwise be destroyed by collisions in the regions where they orbit.
Scientists analyzed geochemical and isotopic markers to suggest a cosmic impact triggered the disaster, which consumed 10% of the Earth's land surface in fires. The study provides evidence for human cultural shifts and population declines during this period.
The Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has detected a comet's rotation period slow by more than 10 times in just 60 days, revealing light variations associated with material recently ejected into the coma. The comet's small size and high water production suggest that more than half of its surface area contains sunlight-activated jets.
NASA has selected the Comet Astrobiology Exploration Sample Return and Dragonfly mission for concept development under the New Frontiers program. The CAESAR mission aims to return a sample from a comet to study its origin and history, while the Dragonfly mission will explore Saturn's moon Titan and its prebiotic chemistry.
Geologists in Scotland have identified a 60-million-year-old meteorite strike on the Isle of Skye, revealing rare minerals from outer space. The discovery has sparked questions about the impact's connection to Paleogene volcanic activity across the North Atlantic.
Researchers measured gas levels in comet 45P, revealing it doesn't match any studied before, with carbon monoxide and methane being detected. The team found a larger-than-average share of frozen methanol, raising questions about its origin.
The Zwicky Transient Facility's (ZTF) new survey camera captures hundreds of thousands of stars and galaxies in a single shot, taking its first image of the sky, dubbed 'first light.' ZTF aims to discover objects and events varying in brightness over time, including explosive supernovae, hungry black holes, and asteroids/comets.
The ESA and NASA's SOHO mission recently observed comet 96P in two separate sessions, offering valuable insights into its composition and interactions with the solar wind. By combining polarization measurements from both missions, scientists can gain a better understanding of the comet's tail particles.
Researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center are developing a highly compact infrared microbolometer camera called ComCAM to study near primitive objects. The device has the potential to assist in the redirection or possible destruction of an asteroid on a collision course with Earth.
A team of scientists and amateur astronomers have detected six exocomets, the smallest objects yet found outside our solar system, using transit photometry. The detection marks the first time an object as small as a comet has been identified using this technique.
A citizen scientist has discovered a comet's tail streaking past a distant star using data from the Kepler Space Telescope. The discovery marks the first time an object as small as a comet has been inferred by observing dips in a star's light.
Researchers from Germany's Technische Universität Braunschweig uncovered a crucial link between the formation of cometary 'dust pebbles' and planet accretion. The study, based on Rosetta mission data, reveals that these pebbles are concentrated by solar instability, leading to collapse and the birth of comets.
Polarimetry offers improved descriptions of small bodies by analyzing reflected radiation's intensity and polarization. Scientists can measure asteroids' size, reveal dust composition in comets or planetary atmospheres, and detect potential biomarkers.
A team led by UCLA professor David Jewitt has identified a primitive comet, C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS), 1.5 billion miles from the sun. The discovery allows scientists to monitor the comet's activity over an extraordinary range of distances.
Researchers have discovered Freon-40, an organohalogen, around two celestial objects: an infant star and a comet. The finding suggests that these molecules may form readily in stellar nurseries, providing insights into the chemical evolution of planetary systems.
Astronomers have detected Freon-40, an organohalogen compound, around an infant star and a comet using ALMA and Rosetta. This finding suggests that organohalogens may be significant components of planetary formation materials, rather than indicators of life.
Researchers detected Freon-40, a stable organohalogen molecule, around infant star system IRAS 16293-2422 and comet 67P/C-G using ALMA and Rosetta. This finding suggests that organohalogens may be an important element in the origin of life, rather than indicators of existing life.
Researchers using ALMA detected methyl chloride around IRAS 16293-2422, an infant star system, and in comet 67P/C-G. The discovery indicates that organohalogens form naturally in interstellar clouds, challenging the search for life on other planets.
Researchers have found that small collisions between comets and Mercury's surface create a lopsided bombardment of tiny dust particles, influencing the planet's very thin atmosphere called an exosphere. The study suggests that specific types of comets, such as Jupiter-family and Halley-type, contribute to this phenomenon.
Astronomers have observed a unique type of object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, revealing two asteroids orbiting each other and exhibiting comet-like features. The research provides crucial information about the origin and evolution of main-belt comets, which can help answer questions about how water came to Earth.
A recent study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society reveals that comet nuclei contain 40% organic matter by mass, which was produced in interstellar space before the formation of our solar system. This finding has significant implications for the origin of life on Earth and potentially other planets.
Two Japanese teams found the Phoenicid meteor shower linked to Comet Blanpain, which disappeared in 1819. The team predicted the shower's return and observed 29 Phoenicids, confirming their link to Comet Blanpain.
Scientists have tracked a solar storm using data from 10 NASA and ESA spacecraft, shedding light on how coronal mass ejections (CMEs) move through space. The study provides key information for understanding space weather effects on the solar system.
A team of astronomers found that there are about seven times more long-period comets measuring at least 1 kilometer across than previously predicted. Long-period comets are nearly twice as large as Jupiter family comets, suggesting an evolutionary difference between the two types of comets.
Comet 174P/Echeclus, part of the centaur population, exhibits unusual emission activity despite low temperatures, suggesting it may be more fragile than other comets. The study provides insights into comet composition and formation, potentially shedding light on the origins of life.
A new study suggests that comets may have delivered up to 22% of the element xenon found in Earth's atmosphere. The finding is based on analysis of spectrometry data from the Rosetta spacecraft, which detected isotopic signatures of cometary xenon that closely match those on Earth.
A Caltech engineer explains how comets produce oxygen gas, a rare finding in space, through dynamic molecular oxygen production. The discovery challenges previous theories and has implications for searching for life on exoplanets.
Researchers observed growing fractures, collapsing cliffs, and rolling boulders on the comet's surface during its two-year investigation. Changes were linked to geological processes like weathering, erosion, sublimation of water ice, and mechanical stresses.
A new study led by CU Boulder finds that comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has an extremely active surface with growing fractures, collapsing cliffs, and massive rolling boulders. The comet's surface underwent rapid changes due to the warming of its ice surface, causing it to sublimate and move massive rocks across its surface.
Changes on Comet 67P's surface were likely driven by seasonal events, according to a new study. The comet's surface has been shaped over time through cometary-specific weathering, erosion, and transient events.
A team of astronomers successfully observed the entire hydrogen coma of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko using the LAICA telescope onboard the PROCYON spacecraft. The observations provide a unique opportunity to test coma models and estimate the total amount of water released by the comet per second.
Astronomers have discovered three young star systems with doomed comets, suggesting a common mechanism for exocomet destruction. The study provides new insights into the past and present activity of comets in our solar system, potentially making life possible on terrestrial planets.
Scientists have discovered silicate glass spherules at the Paleocene-Eocene boundary that suggest a comet impact occurred during this time period. The results provide direct evidence for an extraterrestrial impact on Earth, which may have contributed to the observed global warming event.
Researchers have discovered tiny glass droplets in New Jersey sediment layers that could be linked to an extraterrestrial object hitting Earth. The finding is consistent with previous work suggesting an impact triggered the PETM, a period of rapid warming comparable to modern human-induced climate change.
Astronomers captured the best view yet of a breaking apart comet using NASA's Hubble telescope. The images show 25 fragments drifting away from the comet at walking speed, suggesting it may be spinning so fast that material is ejected from its surface.
Astronomers analyze Kepler observations of KIC 8462852 and find the star dimming slowly for almost three years before suddenly losing 2% of its brightness. The star's unusual behavior has sparked speculation about comets, alien megastructures, or planetary collisions, but the new findings will make it harder to explain.
A new study assesses the effectiveness of self-guided online genetic education in reducing anxiety and stress among cancer patients undergoing tumor gene testing. Researchers hope to improve patients' experience with precision medicine by increasing knowledge about test limitations and benefits.
A new study suggests that comets like 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko may undergo a repeating process of breaking up and reuniting, driven by spinning dynamics. The research team used numerical models to simulate the past life of 67P, predicting exactly where cracks would form on its neck.
An international team of astronomers has detected icy comets and carbon monoxide gas around a nearby sun-like star using ALMA. The findings provide early insights into the properties of comet clouds in stellar systems just after their birth.
Researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München have identified a plausible reaction mechanism for the production of key components of RNA under conditions similar to those on the young Earth. The discovery validates a pathway that could explain how chemical evolution proceeded before the formation of the first cells.
Astronomers observe a narrow, well-defined jet of dust ejected by the comet's icy nucleus, which appears to rotate like a water jet. The comet's close approach to Earth and sun results in large amounts of dust and gas being ejected, creating a dynamic spectacle.
A team of astronomers has discovered a unique rocky body in the Oort Cloud, a region surrounding the Sun like a giant soap bubble. The object, dubbed a Manx comet due to its tailless nature, is believed to be one of the potential building blocks of rocky planets like Earth.
The SwRI-led team found evidence of crystalline clathrate ices in comet 67P's atmosphere, suggesting the cometary nucleus formed closer to the Sun. This discovery could help refine solar system formation models and provide insights into the early history of our solar system.
A new University of Colorado Boulder study suggests that ancient Martian bombardments created regions with hydrothermal systems similar to those in Yellowstone National Park. These systems may have made early Mars habitable for a time.
The comet's passage threw Mars' magnetic field into chaos, with effects seen in real-time during the flyby and even hours after. The findings suggest a temporary surge in gas escaping from Mars' upper atmosphere, similar to a strong solar storm.
A kink in the regional fault line creates a ramp that raises the height of the mountains. The rupture on the fault stopped 11km below Kathmandu, indicating another major earthquake could occur within a shorter timeframe.