Churyumov–Gerasimenko Archives

The scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA), who are behind the comet-chasing mission Rosetta, on Tuesday announced that the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has no magnetic field.

The new findings could offer key insight into the formation of heavenly bodies like planets and comets in the early development stages.

Last November, the Rosetta’s Philae Lander probe gathered data from its multiple landings and discovered that the comet’s surface is not magnetized.

Detailing the new findings of the Rosetta probe, study lead author Hans-Ulrich Alster said, “If the surface was magnetized, we would have expected to see a clear increase in the magnetic field readings as we got closer and closer to the surface. But this was not the case at any of the locations we visited, so we conclude that Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is a remarkably nonmagnetic object.”

The landing of the probe was not at all smooth. It took four attempts and experienced a grazing collision along the way. The scientists said that it is likely the complexity of the landing that made them believe that the comet lacks a magnetized core.

Several ascents and descents permitted the team to carry out the comparison of the measurements to and from the various points of contact along the surface of the comet.

The Philae Lander, which is similar in size of a washing machine and weighs nearly 220 pounds, had sufficient stored battery life permitting 60 hours of experiments. It sent back the results on the Earth on November 15. The scientists believe the finding could assist in clarifying how bodies like planets and comets are formed in the early stages since it might help in ruling out magnetic forces.

Matthew Taylor, Rosetta project scientist at the European Space Agency, said, “It’s a massively important finding and a key thing we wanted to measure. That Churyumov-Gerasimenko does not have a magnetic field could help us solve the puzzle of how planetary building blocks evolved from the proto-planetary disk. It appears we will have to switch off the effect of magnetism in simulations of the beginning.”

The Philae lander is presently in the hibernation mode for the purpose of preserving of its battery. But it could reboot by the May-end. This intends to say that communication could be established likely by the end of June and the battery charging starting again in July.

The findings were reported by the European Space Agency in the journal Science and further presented at the European Geosciences Union in Vienna.

European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosetta probe mission has detected peculiar mix of molecular nitrogen on the Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, offering crucial clues to the conditions that led to the birth of the solar system.

The study was led by Martin Rubin, a scientist at the space research and planetary sciences division of Switzerland’s University of Bern.

According to the scientists, molecular nitrogen has played a very crucial role in the formation of the young solar system.

The scientists at the European Space Agency said that the detection of molecular nitrogen suggests that Comet 67P was formed under low-temperature conditions, which is required to keep nitrogen in the form of ice).

The astronomers explain as nitrogen is also available on planets and moons in the outer solar system, the latest discovery made by Rosetta clearly implies that the family of comets of 67P has also formed in the same region.

“Its detection is particularly important since molecular nitrogen is thought to have been the most common type of nitrogen available when the solar system was forming. In the colder outer regions, it likely provided the main source of nitrogen that was incorporated into the gas planets. It also dominates the dense atmosphere of Saturn’s moon Titan and is present in the atmospheres and surface ices on Pluto and on Neptune’s moon Triton,” the ESA officials wrote in an issued statement.

The Rosetta spacecraft used the ROSINA instrument (Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis) last year between October 17 and October 23 for detecting the presence of molecular nitrogen on the comet. At that time, the Rosetta spacecraft was orbiting only 6.2 miles (or 10 kilometers) from the center of Comet 67P.

The more surprising thing for the scientists was the ratio of molecular nitrogen to carbon monoxide present in the comet. According to them, the ratio was 25 times less than the expectations derived from the models of the early solar system.

Scientists explain the unexpectedly low ratio is caused from the manner in which the formation of ice took place at extremely low temperatures.

The findings were detailed in the journal Science.

Rosetta probe denies presence of magnetic field at comet 67P

ESA’s Rosetta detects molecular nitrogen on Comet 67P

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