It has been an dynamic summer for Rosetta ’s comet . In August , 67P / Churyumov - Gerasimenko strive its perihelion ( the closest point to the Sun ) , which led to a significant increase in surface bodily process .
In anew paper , soon to be publish in Astronomy & Astrophysics , Rosetta scientist have key out significant new characteristic that appeared dead in the equatorial region of the comet ’s surface . The area is named after the Egyptian polymath Imhotep , and since last summer until May of this year , it has been a mostly placid , dust - covered terrain .
In June , however , uranologist working with the probe data detect the formation of a small circular feature . After a handful of twenty-four hour period , the feature article had boom importantly , with a 2nd feature article also come along . In a thing of weeks , the first feature had reach 220 time ( 722 feet ) in diam , its fellow traveler 140 metre ( 459 base ) and a third feature had begin to look alongside it . By the time Rosetta snapped the last picture used in the sketch on July 11 , the three features had merged together and two more had lead off forming .
Annotated sequence of 10 images show changes in the Imhotep region on Comet 67P / C - G. Credit : ESA / Rosetta / MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS / UPD / LAM / IAA / SSO / INTA / UPM / DASP / IDADramatic change are expected when a comet approach the Sun . While 67P has shown incremental overall activeness , the reasonableness for the origin , structure and speed of the changes in these features remain undecipherable . Compared to theoretic models , the rate of corrosion observe is significantly quicker . “ These spectacular changes are proceeding extremely speedily , with the rims of the features expanding by a few tens of centimetres per 60 minutes , ” lead author Olivier Groussin say in astatement .
A few explanations have been put forward , but so far no conclusive grounds has been found , as the instrument on Rosetta have n’t identify any strange gas or dust activeness over the area . Being so close to the equator , the Imhotep region receives a substantial amount of sunlight ; this could quicken the sacking of with child particles , which are more hard for Rosetta to detect .
Comet 67P continues to be a unique and fascinating object . We can expect more interesting science release by the Rosetta team in the next few months as data from the effect of the perihelion , which was on the 13th of August , are soundly analyzed .
Main paradigm credit : Comet 67P on 14 May 2025 by ESA , viaFlickr . CC BY - SA 2.0
