Rosetta's comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko sheds its dusty mantle to reveal its icy nature

S. Fornasier; S. Mottola; H. U. Keller; M. A. Barucci; B. Davidsson; C. Feller; J. D.P. Deshapriya; H. Sierks; C. Barbieri; P. L. Lamy; R. Rodrigo; D. Koschny; H. Rickman; M. A'Hearn; J. Agarwal; J. L. Bertaux; I. Bertini; S. Besse; G. Cremonese; V. Da Deppo; S. Debei; M. De Cecco; J. Deller; M. R. El-Maarry; M. Fulle; O. Groussin; P. J. Gutierrez; C. Güttler; M. Hofmann; S. F. Hviid; W. H. Ip; L. Jorda; J. Knollenberg; G. Kovacs; R. Kramm; E. Kührt; M. Küppers; M. L. Lara; M. Lazzarin; J. J.Lopez Moreno; F. Marzari; M. Massironi; G. Naletto; N. Oklay; M. Pajola; A. Pommerol; F. Preusker; F. Scholten; X. Shi; N. Thomas; I. Toth; C. Tubiana; J. B. Vincent

doi:10.1126/science.aag2671

Rosetta's comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko sheds its dusty mantle to reveal its icy nature

S. Fornasier
, S. Mottola
, H. U. Keller
, M. A. Barucci
, B. Davidsson
, C. Feller
, J. D.P. Deshapriya
, H. Sierks
, C. Barbieri
, P. L. Lamy
, R. Rodrigo
, D. Koschny
, H. Rickman
, M. A'Hearn
, J. Agarwal
, J. L. Bertaux
, I. Bertini
, S. Besse
, G. Cremonese
, V. Da Deppo

S. Debei, M. De Cecco, J. Deller, M. R. El-Maarry, M. Fulle, O. Groussin, P. J. Gutierrez, C. Güttler, M. Hofmann, S. F. Hviid, W. H. Ip, L. Jorda, J. Knollenberg, G. Kovacs, R. Kramm, E. Kührt, M. Küppers, M. L. Lara, M. Lazzarin, J. J.Lopez Moreno, F. Marzari, M. Massironi, G. Naletto, N. Oklay, M. Pajola, A. Pommerol, F. Preusker, F. Scholten, X. Shi, N. Thomas, I. Toth, C. Tubiana, J. B. Vincent

Earth Science

Observatoire de Paris
Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)
Technische Universität Braunschweig
JPL
Max-Planck Institut für Sonnensystemforschung
University of Padova
Aix-Marseille Université
Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC)
International Space Science Institute
European Space Agency
Uppsala University
PAS Space Research Center
University of Maryland, College Park
LATMOS, IPSL, Boite 308
European Space Astronomy Centre
INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova
CNR-IFN UOS Padova LUXOR
University of Trento
INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
National Central University
Macau University of Science and Technology
Budapest University of Technology and Economics
NASA Ames Research Center
University of Bern
MTA CSFK Konkoly Observatory

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

107 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Rosetta spacecraft has investigated comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from large heliocentric distances to its perihelion passage and beyond.We trace the seasonal and diurnal evolution of the colors of the 67P nucleus, finding changes driven by sublimation and recondensation of water ice. The whole nucleus became relatively bluer near perihelion, as increasing activity removed the surface dust, implying that water ice is widespread underneath the surface.We identified large (1500 square meters) ice-rich patches appearing and then vanishing in about 10 days, indicating small-scale heterogeneities on the nucleus. Thin frosts sublimating in a few minutes are observed close to receding shadows, and rapid variations in color are seen on extended areas close to the terminator. These cyclic processes are widespread and lead to continuously, slightly varying surface properties.

Original language	British English
Pages (from-to)	1566-1570
Number of pages	5
Journal	Science
Volume	354
Issue number	6319
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aag2671
State	Published - 23 Dec 2016

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Fornasier, S., Mottola, S., Keller, H. U., Barucci, M. A., Davidsson, B., Feller, C., Deshapriya, J. D. P., Sierks, H., Barbieri, C., Lamy, P. L., Rodrigo, R., Koschny, D., Rickman, H., A'Hearn, M., Agarwal, J., Bertaux, J. L., Bertini, I., Besse, S., Cremonese, G., ... Vincent, J. B. (2016). Rosetta's comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko sheds its dusty mantle to reveal its icy nature. Science, 354(6319), 1566-1570. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aag2671

@article{984fd651d1de4011b94268c7cb28d399,

title = "Rosetta's comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko sheds its dusty mantle to reveal its icy nature",

abstract = "The Rosetta spacecraft has investigated comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from large heliocentric distances to its perihelion passage and beyond.We trace the seasonal and diurnal evolution of the colors of the 67P nucleus, finding changes driven by sublimation and recondensation of water ice. The whole nucleus became relatively bluer near perihelion, as increasing activity removed the surface dust, implying that water ice is widespread underneath the surface.We identified large (1500 square meters) ice-rich patches appearing and then vanishing in about 10 days, indicating small-scale heterogeneities on the nucleus. Thin frosts sublimating in a few minutes are observed close to receding shadows, and rapid variations in color are seen on extended areas close to the terminator. These cyclic processes are widespread and lead to continuously, slightly varying surface properties.",

author = "S. Fornasier and S. Mottola and Keller, \{H. U.\} and Barucci, \{M. A.\} and B. Davidsson and C. Feller and Deshapriya, \{J. D.P.\} and H. Sierks and C. Barbieri and Lamy, \{P. L.\} and R. Rodrigo and D. Koschny and H. Rickman and M. A'Hearn and J. Agarwal and Bertaux, \{J. L.\} and I. Bertini and S. Besse and G. Cremonese and \{Da Deppo\}, V. and S. Debei and \{De Cecco\}, M. and J. Deller and El-Maarry, \{M. R.\} and M. Fulle and O. Groussin and Gutierrez, \{P. J.\} and C. G{\"u}ttler and M. Hofmann and Hviid, \{S. F.\} and Ip, \{W. H.\} and L. Jorda and J. Knollenberg and G. Kovacs and R. Kramm and E. K{\"u}hrt and M. K{\"u}ppers and Lara, \{M. L.\} and M. Lazzarin and Moreno, \{J. J.Lopez\} and F. Marzari and M. Massironi and G. Naletto and N. Oklay and M. Pajola and A. Pommerol and F. Preusker and F. Scholten and X. Shi and N. Thomas and I. Toth and C. Tubiana and Vincent, \{J. B.\}",

note = "Funding Information: The support of the contributing research institutes of the OSIRIS consortium and of the national funding agencies of Germany (DLR), France (CNES), Italy (ASI), Spain (MEC), Sweden (SNSB), and the ESA Technical Directorate is gratefully acknowledged. M.A. acknowledges NASA funding through Jet Propulsion Laboratory contract no. 1267923 and from the Akademie der Wissenschaften zu G{\"o}ttingen. W.-H.I. acknowledges the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (grant no. NSC 102-2112-M-008), and Macau University of Science and Technology (grant no. FDCT 017/2014/A1). Publisher Copyright: Copyright 2016 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science; all rights reserved.",

year = "2016",

month = dec,

day = "23",

doi = "10.1126/science.aag2671",

language = "British English",

volume = "354",

pages = "1566--1570",

journal = "Science",

issn = "0036-8075",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "6319",

}

Fornasier, S, Mottola, S, Keller, HU, Barucci, MA, Davidsson, B, Feller, C, Deshapriya, JDP, Sierks, H, Barbieri, C, Lamy, PL, Rodrigo, R, Koschny, D, Rickman, H, A'Hearn, M, Agarwal, J, Bertaux, JL, Bertini, I, Besse, S, Cremonese, G, Da Deppo, V, Debei, S, De Cecco, M, Deller, J, El-Maarry, MR, Fulle, M, Groussin, O, Gutierrez, PJ, Güttler, C, Hofmann, M, Hviid, SF, Ip, WH, Jorda, L, Knollenberg, J, Kovacs, G, Kramm, R, Kührt, E, Küppers, M, Lara, ML, Lazzarin, M, Moreno, JJL, Marzari, F, Massironi, M, Naletto, G, Oklay, N, Pajola, M, Pommerol, A, Preusker, F, Scholten, F, Shi, X, Thomas, N, Toth, I, Tubiana, C & Vincent, JB 2016, 'Rosetta's comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko sheds its dusty mantle to reveal its icy nature', Science, vol. 354, no. 6319, pp. 1566-1570. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aag2671

TY - JOUR

T1 - Rosetta's comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko sheds its dusty mantle to reveal its icy nature

AU - Fornasier, S.

AU - Mottola, S.

AU - Keller, H. U.

AU - Barucci, M. A.

AU - Davidsson, B.

AU - Feller, C.

AU - Deshapriya, J. D.P.

AU - Sierks, H.

AU - Barbieri, C.

AU - Lamy, P. L.

AU - Rodrigo, R.

AU - Koschny, D.

AU - Rickman, H.

AU - A'Hearn, M.

AU - Agarwal, J.

AU - Bertaux, J. L.

AU - Bertini, I.

AU - Besse, S.

AU - Cremonese, G.

AU - Da Deppo, V.

AU - Debei, S.

AU - De Cecco, M.

AU - Deller, J.

AU - El-Maarry, M. R.

AU - Fulle, M.

AU - Groussin, O.

AU - Gutierrez, P. J.

AU - Güttler, C.

AU - Hofmann, M.

AU - Hviid, S. F.

AU - Ip, W. H.

AU - Jorda, L.

AU - Knollenberg, J.

AU - Kovacs, G.

AU - Kramm, R.

AU - Kührt, E.

AU - Küppers, M.

AU - Lara, M. L.

AU - Lazzarin, M.

AU - Moreno, J. J.Lopez

AU - Marzari, F.

AU - Massironi, M.

AU - Naletto, G.

AU - Oklay, N.

AU - Pajola, M.

AU - Pommerol, A.

AU - Preusker, F.

AU - Scholten, F.

AU - Shi, X.

AU - Thomas, N.

AU - Toth, I.

AU - Tubiana, C.

AU - Vincent, J. B.

N1 - Funding Information: The support of the contributing research institutes of the OSIRIS consortium and of the national funding agencies of Germany (DLR), France (CNES), Italy (ASI), Spain (MEC), Sweden (SNSB), and the ESA Technical Directorate is gratefully acknowledged. M.A. acknowledges NASA funding through Jet Propulsion Laboratory contract no. 1267923 and from the Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen. W.-H.I. acknowledges the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (grant no. NSC 102-2112-M-008), and Macau University of Science and Technology (grant no. FDCT 017/2014/A1). Publisher Copyright: Copyright 2016 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science; all rights reserved.

PY - 2016/12/23

Y1 - 2016/12/23

N2 - The Rosetta spacecraft has investigated comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from large heliocentric distances to its perihelion passage and beyond.We trace the seasonal and diurnal evolution of the colors of the 67P nucleus, finding changes driven by sublimation and recondensation of water ice. The whole nucleus became relatively bluer near perihelion, as increasing activity removed the surface dust, implying that water ice is widespread underneath the surface.We identified large (1500 square meters) ice-rich patches appearing and then vanishing in about 10 days, indicating small-scale heterogeneities on the nucleus. Thin frosts sublimating in a few minutes are observed close to receding shadows, and rapid variations in color are seen on extended areas close to the terminator. These cyclic processes are widespread and lead to continuously, slightly varying surface properties.

AB - The Rosetta spacecraft has investigated comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from large heliocentric distances to its perihelion passage and beyond.We trace the seasonal and diurnal evolution of the colors of the 67P nucleus, finding changes driven by sublimation and recondensation of water ice. The whole nucleus became relatively bluer near perihelion, as increasing activity removed the surface dust, implying that water ice is widespread underneath the surface.We identified large (1500 square meters) ice-rich patches appearing and then vanishing in about 10 days, indicating small-scale heterogeneities on the nucleus. Thin frosts sublimating in a few minutes are observed close to receding shadows, and rapid variations in color are seen on extended areas close to the terminator. These cyclic processes are widespread and lead to continuously, slightly varying surface properties.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84996564299

U2 - 10.1126/science.aag2671

DO - 10.1126/science.aag2671

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84996564299

SN - 0036-8075

VL - 354

SP - 1566

EP - 1570

JO - Science

JF - Science

IS - 6319

ER -

Rosetta's comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko sheds its dusty mantle to reveal its icy nature

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