[SKRIVA] Komet som radioaktiv jordnöt
- From: Ahrvid Engholm <ahrvid@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <skriva@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 5 Nov 2010 11:44:45 +0100
Den amerikanska rymdsonden Deep Impact hade igår närkontakt med kometen Hartley
2. Och tog följande tjusiga bild:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/science/space/05comet.html?_r=1
Kometen ser ut som en enorm oskalad jordnöt som strålar ut något. (Gaser och
stoft som blir till kometens "svans".)
"“We are all holding our breath to see what discoveries await us in the
observations near closest approach,” Michael A’Hearn, a University of Maryland
astronomer and the mission’s principal investigator, said in a statement.
The Deep Impact spacecraft officially completed its mission in 2005 after it
visited the comet Tempel 1, letting loose an 800-pound piece of equipment that
crashed into that comet as it passed by. The collision allowed scientists to
identify some of the minerals beneath the surface of Tempel 1.
But the spacecraft still had plenty of maneuvering fuel left, so NASA approved
a second mission, called Epoxi, that included a visit to a second comet. Three
years ago, the mission had to shift course when the comet it was aiming for,
Comet Boethin, could not be found. The backup target was Hartley 2.
The odd shape of Hartley 2 could mean that the comet, three-quarters of a mile
wide, was originally two objects that somehow spiraled into each other and
stuck.
Comets are believed to contain primordial materials that date back to the
beginning of the solar system, some 4.5 billion years ago. “If we understand
the comets really well, it will tell us how the planets got made,” Dr. A’Hearn
said. “That’s why we choose comets to study.”
--Ahrvid
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