Could sinkholes on 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko pose yet another risk to Philae?
Thursday, July 2, 2015 - 08:00
in Astronomy & Space
Images of the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko have been decorating the front pages of newspapers and journals for the last few months. They have allowed us to see the full magnificence of the comets' cratered terrain. Now a study suggests that these craters are actually sinkholes, created in a similar way to those on Earth when the surface layer of the ground suddenly collapses. While these pits could help us map the terrain of the comet, they could also pose a risk to the Philae spacecraft.