ESA Rosette Probe Reveals Nucleus of Comet is Irregular in Shape

The latest images captured by Europe's comet chaser Rosetta reveals that the nucleus of the 4 km-wide target comet is an irregularly shaped body.

Launched by the European Space Agency on March 2, 2004, the robotic spacecraft is built to perform a detailed study of comet 67P/Churyumove-Gerasimenko. The spacecraft has performed two successful asteroid flyby missions on its journey to the comet. It spent most of its journey in hibernation so as to conserve energy for its further mission.

After 10 years of journey, the spacecraft is nearing its target. 

The new images of the comet was taken by OSIRIS that is an onboard scientific imaging system. The images reveal that the nucleus of the comet has a unique shape. The comet displays three prominent structures.

"From what we can discern in these early images, 67P is an irregularly looking body", said OSIRIS Principal Investigator Holger Sierks from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) in Germany. 

The stunning images were captured on July 4, 2014, from a distance of 37000 kilometers. The body covers just 30 pixels. Yet, the experts can view it clearly and estimate that the image indicates the presence of three massive structures or deep depressions.

The analysis conducted in the past highlighted that the nucleus of the comet is just 2.5 miles wide, according to Nature World News.

Asteroid and comets are normally seen in irregular, elongated and structured shapes. Out of the five cometary nuclei that the spacecraft visited in the close flybys till date, none were spherical in shape. 

"Seeing 67P now slowly revealing its own unique features is an unprecedented adventure", said OSIRIS scientist Jean-Baptiste Vincent from the MPS.

The Interactive Mao provides ESA Rosetta's current location. VIEW HERE.

Rosetta will be closest to the target by the end of next month and experts predict that the distance between the spacecraft and the comet will be just 100 km. This will be the closest distance ever from where a spacecraft has veiwed a cosmic object.