Scientists name one of the largest boulders on Rosetta's comet after an Egyptian pyramid
Friday, October 10, 2014 - 09:00
in Astronomy & Space
The scientific imaging system OSIRIS on board ESA's spacecraft Rosetta has caught a spectacular glimpse of one of the many boulders that cover the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. With a maximum extension of approximately 45 meters it is one of the larger structures of this kind on the comet and stands out among a group of boulders located on the lower side of 67P's larger lobe. Since this cluster of boulders reminded the scientists of the pyramids of Giza, the boulder has been named Cheops after the largest pyramid within the Giza Necropolis. The boulder-like structures that Rosetta has revealed on the surface of 67P in the past months are among the comet's most striking and mysterious features.