comet’s surface is full of growing fractures tagged posts

Comet 67P that orbits the sun has growing fractures, collapsing cliffs and rolling boulders, according to scientists working on the Rosetta mission. Credit: NASA

Images returned from the ESA’s Rosetta mission indicate the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was a very active place during its most recent trip through the solar system, says a new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder. The images show the comet’s surface is full of growing fractures, collapsing cliffs and massive rolling boulders. Moving material buried some features on the comet’s surface and exhumed others. A study on 67P’s changing surface was released Tuesday in the journal Science.

“As comets approach the sun, they go into overdrive and exhibit spectacular changes on their surface,” said Ramy El-Maarry, ...