Rosetta's Philae Discovers Comet's Organic Molecules with 'Sniffer' Instruments

Researchers have officially received the early results from Philae's first suite of scientific observations of the Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The new findings may reveal a bit more about the science of a comet.

The data was obtained during the Rosetta lander's seven-hour descent to its final touchdown at the Agilkia landing site. This then triggered the start of a sequenced of predefined experiments. Shortly after touchdown, though, it became apparent that Philae had rebounded and so a number of measurements were carried out as the lander took flight for an additional two hours about 100 m above the comet before finally landing at Abydos.

About 80 percent of the first science sequence was completed in the 64 hours following separation before Philae fell into hibernation. The data was ultimately collected at more than one location, which actually allows for comparison between touchdown sites.

The gas-sniffing instruments Ptolemy and COSAC played huge rolls when it came to learning a bit more about the comet. Some of the compounds detected by these instruments are key when it comes to prebiotic synthesis of amino acids, sugars and nucleobases, which are the ingredients for life. For example, formaldehyde is implicated in the formation of ribose, which ultimately features in molecules like DNA.

The existence of complex molecules in a comet may actually imply that chemical processes at work during the early solar system could have played an important role in fostering the formation of prebiotic material. This could also have implications for how life formed on our planet Earth.

Currently, the researchers are waiting for further data from Rosetta's lander, Philae, to learn even more about the comet's surface.

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