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

Science. 2016 Dec 23;354(6319):1566-1570. doi: 10.1126/science.aag2671. Epub 2016 Nov 17.

Authors

S Fornasier¹, S Mottola², H U Keller^{2

3}, M A Barucci⁴, B Davidsson⁵, C Feller⁴, J D P Deshapriya⁴, H Sierks⁶, C Barbieri⁷, P L Lamy⁸, R Rodrigo^{9

10}, D Koschny¹¹, H Rickman^{12

13}, M A'Hearn¹⁴, J Agarwal⁶, J-L Bertaux¹⁵, I Bertini⁷, S Besse¹⁶, G Cremonese¹⁷, V Da Deppo¹⁸, S Debei¹⁹, M De Cecco²⁰, J Deller⁶, M R El-Maarry²¹, M Fulle²², O Groussin²³, P J Gutierrez⁹, C Güttler⁶, M Hofmann⁶, S F Hviid², W-H Ip^{24

25}, L Jorda²³, J Knollenberg², G Kovacs^{6

26}, R Kramm⁶, E Kührt², M Küppers¹⁶, M L Lara⁹, M Lazzarin⁷, J J Lopez Moreno⁹, F Marzari⁷, M Massironi^{27

28}, G Naletto^{29

28

18}, N Oklay⁶, M Pajola^{30

28}, A Pommerol²¹, F Preusker², F Scholten², X Shi⁶, N Thomas²¹, I Toth³¹, C Tubiana⁶, J-B Vincent⁶

Affiliations

¹ Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique (LESIA), Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UPMC Université Paris 06, Sorbonne Universités, 5 Place J. Janssen, Meudon Principal Cedex 92195, France. sonia.fornasier@obspm.fr.
² Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institut für Planetenforschung, Asteroiden und Kometen, Rutherfordstraﬂe 2, 12489 Berlin, Germany.
³ Institut für Geophysik und Extraterrestrische Physik (IGEP), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstrasse 3, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany.
⁴ Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique (LESIA), Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UPMC Université Paris 06, Sorbonne Universités, 5 Place J. Janssen, Meudon Principal Cedex 92195, France.
⁵ Jet Propulsion Laboratory, M/S 183-301, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
⁶ Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg, 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
⁷ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padova, Italy.
⁸ Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille, UMR 7326 CNRS and Université Aix-Marseille, 38 Rue Frédéric Joliot-Curie, 13388 Marseille Cedex 13, France.
⁹ Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia (CSIC), c/ Glorieta de la Astronomia s/n, 18008 Granada, Spain.
¹⁰ International Space Science Institute, Hallerstrasse 6, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
¹¹ Scientific Support Office, European Space Research and Technology Centre/ESA, Keplerlaan 1, Postbus 299, 2201 AZ Noordwijk ZH, Netherlands.
¹² Department of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala University, Box 516, 75120 Uppsala, Sweden.
¹³ Polish Academy of Sciences, Space Research Center, Bartycka 18A, 00716 Warszawa, Poland.
¹⁴ Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2421, USA.
¹⁵ Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales (LATMOS) CNRS/UVSQ/IPSL, 11 Boulevard d'Alembert, 78280, Guyancourt, France.
¹⁶ Operations Department, European Space Astronomy Centre/ESA, P.O. Box 78, 28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid, Spain.
¹⁷ Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica (INAF), Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell'Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy.
¹⁸ CNR-IFN UOS Padova LUXOR, Via Trasea, 7, 35131 Padova, Italy.
¹⁹ Department of Mechanical Engineering - University of Padova, via Venezia 1, 35131 Padova, Italy.
²⁰ University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38100 Trento, Italy.
²¹ Physikalisches Institut der Universität Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
²² INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico, Via Tiepolo 11, 34014 Trieste, Italy.
²³ Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille), UMR 7326, 38 Rue Frédéric Joliot-Curie, 13388 Marseille Cedex 13, France.
²⁴ Graduate Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, 300 Chung-Da Rd, Chung-Li 32054 Taiwan.
²⁵ Space Science Institute, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China.
²⁶ Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary.
²⁷ Dipartimento di Geoscienze, University of Padova, Via G. Gradenigo 6, 35131 Padova, Italy.
²⁸ Center of Studies and Activities for Space (CISAS), G. Colombo, University of Padova, Via Venezia 15, 35131 Padova, Italy.
²⁹ University of Padova, Department of Information Engineering, Via Gradenigo 6/B, 35131 Padova, Italy.
³⁰ NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
³¹ MTA CSFK Konkoly Observatory, Konkoly Thege M. ut 15-17, H1121 Budapest, Hungary.

PMID: 27856849
DOI: 10.1126/science.aag2671

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.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't