Rosetta’s comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko sheds its dusty mantle to reveal its icy nature
Sonia Fornasier
(1)
,
S. Mottola
(2)
,
H. Keller
(2, 3)
,
M. Barucci
(1)
,
B. Davidsson
(4)
,
C. Feller
(1)
,
J. Deshapriya
(1)
,
H. Sierks
(5)
,
C. Barbieri
(6)
,
Philippe Lamy
(7)
,
R. Rodrigo
(8, 9)
,
D. Koschny
(10)
,
H. Rickman
(11)
,
M. A’hearn
(12)
,
J. Agarwal
(10, 5)
,
Jean-Loup Bertaux
(13)
,
I. Bertini
(6)
,
S. Besse
(14)
,
Gabriele Cremonese
(15)
,
V. da Deppo
(16)
,
S. Debei
(17)
,
M. de Cecco
(18)
,
J. Deller
(5)
,
M. El-Maarry
(19)
,
M. Fulle
(20)
,
O. Groussin
(7)
,
P. Gutierrez
(8)
,
C. Güttler
(5)
,
M. Hofmann
(5)
,
S. Hviid
(2)
,
W.-H. Ip
(21, 22)
,
L. Jorda
(7)
,
J. Knollenberg
(2)
,
G. Kovacs
(5)
,
R. Kramm
(5)
,
E. Kührt
(2)
,
M. Küppers
(14)
,
M. Lara
(8)
,
M. Lazzarin
(6)
,
J. J. Lopez-Moreno
(8)
,
F. Marzari
(6)
,
M. Massironi
(23)
,
G. Naletto
(24, 23, 25)
,
N. Oklay
(5)
,
M. Pajola
(26, 23)
,
A. Pommerol
(19)
,
F. Preusker
(2)
,
F. Scholten
(2)
,
X. Shi
(5)
,
N. Thomas
(19)
,
I. Toth
(27)
,
C. Tubiana
(5)
,
J.-B. Vincent
(5)
1
LESIA -
Laboratoire d'études spatiales et d'instrumentation en astrophysique
2 DLR Institut für Planetenforschung
3 IGEP - Institut für Geophysik und Extraterrestrische Physik [Braunschweig]
4 JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
5 MPS - Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung = Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
6 Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia "Galileo Galilei"
7 LAM - Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille
8 IAA - Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía
9 ISSI - International Space Science Institute [Bern]
10 ESTEC - European Space Research and Technology Centre
11 CBK - Space Research Centre of Polish Academy of Sciences
12 Department of Astronomy [College Park]
13 PLANETO - LATMOS
14 Operations Department (ESAC)
15 OAPD - INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova
16 IFN - CNR Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies
17 Department of Industrial Engineering [Padova]
18 UNITN - Università degli Studi di Trento = University of Trento
19 Physikalisches Institut [Bern]
20 OAT - INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
21 Institute of Space Science [Taiwan]
22 SSI - Space Science Institute [Macau]
23 CISAS - Centro di Ateneo di Studi e Attività Spaziali “Giuseppe Colombo”
24 DEI - Department of Information Engineering [Padova]
25 IFN - CNR Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie [Padova]
26 ARC - NASA Ames Research Center
27 Konkoly Observatory
2 DLR Institut für Planetenforschung
3 IGEP - Institut für Geophysik und Extraterrestrische Physik [Braunschweig]
4 JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
5 MPS - Max-Planck-Institut für Sonnensystemforschung = Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research
6 Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia "Galileo Galilei"
7 LAM - Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille
8 IAA - Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía
9 ISSI - International Space Science Institute [Bern]
10 ESTEC - European Space Research and Technology Centre
11 CBK - Space Research Centre of Polish Academy of Sciences
12 Department of Astronomy [College Park]
13 PLANETO - LATMOS
14 Operations Department (ESAC)
15 OAPD - INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova
16 IFN - CNR Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies
17 Department of Industrial Engineering [Padova]
18 UNITN - Università degli Studi di Trento = University of Trento
19 Physikalisches Institut [Bern]
20 OAT - INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste
21 Institute of Space Science [Taiwan]
22 SSI - Space Science Institute [Macau]
23 CISAS - Centro di Ateneo di Studi e Attività Spaziali “Giuseppe Colombo”
24 DEI - Department of Information Engineering [Padova]
25 IFN - CNR Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie [Padova]
26 ARC - NASA Ames Research Center
27 Konkoly Observatory
M. Barucci
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 766744
- ORCID : 0000-0002-1345-0890
- IdRef : 07339369X
L. Jorda
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 746464
- IdHAL : laurent-jorda
- ORCID : 0000-0001-8735-3308
- IdRef : 180975161
M. Pajola
- Fonction : Auteur
- PersonId : 767226
- ORCID : 0000-0002-3144-1277
Résumé
The Rosetta spacecraft has investigated comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from largeheliocentric distances to its perihelion passage and beyond. We trace the seasonal and diurnalevolution of the colors of the 67P nucleus,finding changes driven by sublimation andrecondensation of water ice. The whole nucleus became relatively bluer near perihelion, asincreasing activity removed the surface dust, implying that water ice is widespreadunderneath the surface. We identified large (1500 square meters) ice-rich patches appearingand 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 rapidvariations in color are seen on extended areas close to the terminator. These cyclic processesare widespread and lead to continuously, slightly varying surface properties.