Rosettas komet
ESA:s rymdsond Rosetta vaknar idag efter 31 månaders dvala i rymden. Nu närmar den sig äntligen kometen 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (även känd som 67P/C-G).
Denna bild visar ESO:s Very Large Telescopes (VLT) nyaste observationer av den fyra kilometer stora kometen. Kometen observerades den 5 oktober 2013 då den var omkring 500 miljoner kilometer bort – innan den passerade bakom solen och kom utom sikte från jordens perspektiv.
För att skapa bilden gjordes en lång serie av observationer som sedan behandlades för att visa upp kometen utan bakgrundsstjärnor (till vänster) och bakgrundsstjärnorna med kometens spår markerat (till höger). När den här ses mot en bakgrund av de otaliga stjärnorna i riktning mot Vintergatans mitt var kometen ännu så långt ifrån solen att dess kärna inte släppte ifrån sig gas och stoft. Därför ser den bara ut som en prick. Allt eftersom den närmar sig solen och dess yta värms upp kommer kometens is att sublimera och stoft och damm dras ut från kometen så att en svans bildas.
Denna observation är inledningen på ett tätt samarbete mellan ESA och ESO för att bevaka kometen från marken under Rosettas möte med 67P/C-G senare i år. Rosetta, som sändes upp 2004, ska undersöka kometens yta och släpper dessutom ner en landare på 67P/CG för att se hur ytan ser ut [1].
Kometens bana tar den ett varv runt solen var 6,5:e år. För tillfället ligger den ut mot Jupiters omloppsbana. Närmast solen – ungefär mellan jordens och Mars banor – kommer den i augusti 2015. Då den här bilden tycks visa att kometen ännu inte är aktiv kommer forskare vara mycket intresserade av att kolla in den igen i februari då den åter blir synlig för VLT och då dessutom ligger mycket närmare solen.
Under tiden har observationerna från oktober kunnat användas för att bekräfta kometens bana inför den omfattande manövern som Rosetta ska göra i maj för att säkra att den kan möta upp kometen och gå in i omloppsbana runt 67P/C-G i augusti. Vidare beräkningar kommer att göras när Rosettas egna kameror får syn på kometen.
Not
[1] Sedan den sändes upp har Rosetta gjort fem varv runt solen för att kunna öka sin hastighet och rikta in sig mot slutmålet. För projektets kallaste fas, då Rosetta fått hålla till bortom Jupiters bana, fick sonden gå i djuprymds-ide. Tack vare att 67P/C-G har en relativt stabil och välkänd bana kunde beräkningarna för Rosettas färdväg göras långt före dess uppsändning, och dess läge långt ifrån solen gör att den dessutom är ett säkert mål.
Länkar
- VLT-plåtning av kometen 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko i oktober 2013
- Kometen 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenkos färdväg i oktober 2013
- Veckans bild hos ESA Space Science
- Information om Rosetta hos ESA
- ESO:s Very Large Telescope (VLT)
ESO, Colin Snodgrass (Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Germany)
Om bilden
| ID: | potw1403a |
| Språk: | sv |
| Typ: | Observation |
| Publiceringsdatum: | 20 januari 2014 10:00 |
| Storlek: | 2088 x 1050 px |
Om objektet
| Namn: | 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko |
| Typ: | Solar System : Interplanetary Body : Comet |
Färger och filter
| Band | Teleskop |
|---|---|
| Synligt ljus R | Very Large Telescope FORS2 |
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