The Rosetta space craft, which explores the comet 67P, discovered something very interesting.
The Rosetta space craft, which explores the comet 67P, discovered something very interesting. As the comet approaches the Sun, several phenomena, which are recorded by the spacecraft, make their appearance. The latest discovery is large pits, as sinkholes that appeared suddenly on the surface of the comet.
According to the researchers at the Max Planck Institute studying this latest discovery of the Rosetta, if these sinkholes had appeared in Egypt, they would have swallowed the pyramids of Egypt.
According to the researchers, the subsurface of the comet, disappears locally, resulting eventually to the collapse of its surface and thus vertical cylindrical holes are generated with depth exceeding 100 meters.
The biggest hole has width 200 meters and its depth is similar to width. From these sinks there is a continuously flowing of gas and dust in space and scientists are allowed to take a look inside the comet. So far, there have been identified 18 holes.
The researchers estimate that the erosion of the soil of the comet comes from the evaporation of frozen material when the comet approaches the Sun and receives the intense heat of. The comet is inherently porous, so it has gaps inside, which grow gradually until the collapse.
At the time of writing, the comet 67P is approximately 290 million kilometers far from the Earth and is directed towards the Sun at a speed of 32.5 kilometers per second.
As it was announced by the European Space Agency (ESA) Rosetta will keep accompanying the comet. Moreover, ESA hopes that as the comet approaches the Sun, the device Philae, which is located on Rosetta, will receive the necessary solar light for its operation so as to be able to carry out some investigations.
Sources: FORBES, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
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