Rosetta: OSIRIS detects hints of ice in the comet's neck
Friday, March 13, 2015 - 11:00
in Astronomy & Space
The Hapi region on the neck of Rosetta's comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko reflects red light less effectively than most other regions on the comet. It thus appears slightly blueish. The Hapi region is located between the comet's two lobes and has in the past months proven to be particularly active and the source of spectacular jets of dust and gas. Scientists from the OSIRIS team are using images obtained with the color filters of Rosetta's scientific imaging system to study the reflectivity properties of 67P's surface. Their analyses confirm that the Hapi region is unique. Its bluish coloring might point to the presence of frozen water mixed intimately with the dust at the surface.