Rosetta: no rasto do cometa – Mark McCaughrean

Uma das imagens que foi apresentada, foi particularmente curiosa:

http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2014/10/17/navcams-shades-of-grey/

http://www.universetoday.com/118574/this-comparison-of-comet-67p-with-other-solar-system-bodies-will-blow-your-mind/

We recently came across the above true color comparison of Comet 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko adjusted for true reflectivity contrasted with other bodies in the solar system.

67/P is definitely in the “none more black” (to quote Nigel Tufnel) category as compared to, well, nearly everything.

Welcome to the wonderful world of albedo. Bob King wrote a great article last year discussing the albedo of Comet 67/P. The true albedo (or lack thereof) of 67/P as revealed by Rosetta’s NAVCAM continues to astound us.

Apollo 12 command module pilot Richard Gordon remarked that astronauts Al Bean and Pete Conrad looked like they’d been “playing in a coal bin” on returning from the surface of the Moon.

And in case you’re wondering, Apollo astronauts reported that moondust smelled like ‘burnt gunpowder’ once they’d unsuited.

Saliento (em particular) esta imagem:

http://d1jqu7g1y74ds1.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/67P-comet-albedo-panel_S.jpg

Comets are as dark as charcoal but appear light only because the sun illuminates them against the blackness of outer space.

I shone a flashlight on a charcoal briquette (left) to simulate comet lighting.

The same charcoal, when viewed in normal light, appears black.

Credit; Bob King

Mais informação neste link:

http://www.universetoday.com/114034/what-comets-parking-lots-and-charcoal-have-in-common/