The morphological diversity of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 347; no. 6220; pp. 390 - 391
• Main Authors: Thomas, N., Sierks, H., Barbieri, C., Lamy, P. L., Rodrigo, R., Rickman, H., Koschny, D., Keller, H. U., Agarwal, J., A'Hearn, M. F., Angrilli, F., Auger, A.-T., Barucci, M. A., Bertaux, J.-L., Bertini, I., Besse, S., Bodewits, D., Cremonese, G., Da Deppo, V., Davidsson, B., De Cecco, M., Debei, S., El-Maarry, M. R., Ferri, F., Fornasier, S., Fulle, M., Giacomini, L., Groussin, O., Gutierrez, P. J., Güttler, C., Hviid, S. F., Ip, W.-H., Jorda, L., Knollenberg, J., Kramm, J.-R., Kührt, E., Küppers, M., La Forgia, F., Lara, L. M., Lazzarin, M., Moreno, J. J. Lopez, Magrin, S., Marchi, S., Marzari, F., Massironi, M., Michalik, H., Moissl, R., Mottola, S., Naletto, G., Oklay, N., Pajola, M., Pommerol, A., Preusker, F., Sabau, L., Scholten, F., Snodgrass, C., Tubiana, C., Vincent, J.-B., Wenzel, K.-P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington American Association for the Advancement of Science 23.01.2015; The American Association for the Advancement of Science; American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• Subjects: Astronomical research; Astrophysics; Comets; Dichroism; Earth and Planetary Astrophysics; Ejection; Imaging; Meters; Onboard; Planets; REPORT ABSTRACTS; Sciences of the Universe; Surface layer; Texture
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa0440

Images of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko acquired by the OSIRIS (Optical, Spectroscopic and Infrared Remote Imaging System) imaging system onboard the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft at scales of better than 0.8 meter per pixel show a wide variety of different structures and textures. The data show the importance of airfall, surface dust transport, mass wasting, and insolation weathering for cometary surface evolution, and they offer some support for subsurface fluidization models and mass loss through the ejection of large chunks of material.