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Brightness variations of comet surface
Science & Exploration

Brightness variations of comet surface

30/07/2015 3193 views 19 likes 344806 ID
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Zooming in to a portion of the fractured cliff face imaged by CIVA camera 4 reveals brightness variations in the comet’s surface properties down to centimetre and millimetre scales. The dominant constituents are very dark conglomerates, likely made of organics. The brighter spots could represent mineral grains, perhaps even pointing to ice-rich materials.

The left hand image shows one of the CONSERT antennas in the foreground, which seems to be in contact with the nucleus. The dimensions of the antenna, 5 mm in diameter and 693 mm long, help to provide a scale to the image.

  • ESA/Rosetta/Philae/CIVA
  • Space Science
  • Rosetta
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