CO and CO2 are the two dominant carbon-bearing molecules in comae and have major roles in driving activity. Their relative abundances also provide strong observational constraints to models of solar […]
Comet
Posted inAstrochemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Press Release
Modelling The Water And Carbon Dioxide Production Rates Of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
The European Space Agency Rosetta/Philae mission to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014-2016 is the most complete and diverse investigation of a comet carried out thus far. Yet, many physical and chemical […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Press Release
Abundant Ammonium Hydrosulphide Embedded In Cometary Dust Grains
Ammonium hydrosulphide has long since been postulated to exist at least in certain layers of the giant planets. Its radiation products may be the reason for the red colour seen […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Press Release
Chemistry Of Comet Atmospheres
The composition of cometary ices provides key information on the thermal and chemical properties of the outer parts of the protoplanetary disk where they formed 4.6 Gy ago. This chapter […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Press Release
Shedding Light On Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's Unexpected Chemical Complexity
A team of researchers led by the University of Bern has for the first time identified an unexpected richness of complex organic molecules at a comet. This was achieved thanks […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Press Release
Infrared Detection Of Aliphatic Organics On A Cometary Nucleus
The ESA Rosetta mission has acquired unprecedented measurements of comet 67/P-Churyumov-Gerasimenko (hereafter 67P) nucleus surface, whose composition, as determined by in situ and remote sensing instruments including VIRTIS (Visible, InfraRed […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Comets and Asteroids, Press Release
Cometary Ions Detected By The Cassini Spacecraft 6.5 au Downstream Of Comet 153P/Ikeya-Zhang
During March-April 2002, while between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn, the Cassini spacecraft detected a significant enhancement in pickup proton flux. The most likely explanation for this enhancement was […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
Swift Mission Observed Water from Interstellar Comet Borisov
For the first time, NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory tracked water loss from an interstellar comet as it approached and rounded the Sun. The object, 2I/Borisov, traveled through the solar […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Press Release
Water Production Rates And Activity Of Interstellar Comet 2I/Borisov
We observed the interstellar comet 2I/Borisov using the Neil Gehrels-Swift Observatory’s Ultraviolet/Optical Telescope. We obtained images of the OH gas and dust surrounding the nucleus at four epochs spaced before […]
Posted inAstrochemistry, Astronomy & Telescopes, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Comets and Asteroids, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Interstellar, Press Release
FLAMINGOS-2 Infrared Photometry of 2I/Borisov
2I/Borisov is the second interstellar object (ISO) after ‘Oumuamua (Meech et al. 2017), but differs from ‘Oumuamua drastically with its extensive cometary activity. A key ingredient to understand the nature […]