News Archive / Tagged: coma

• Rosetta discovers target comet – is actually two comets in one

  David DarlingJuly 16th, 2014

  The European Space Agency (ESA ) spacecraft Rosetta is rapidly closing on its target – comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko – at the start of what promises to be one of the most exciting space exploration missions of the year. Space exploration, like life – is what happens while you are making other plans. Three weeks before Rosetta is […]

• NASA instruments aboard Rosetta begin science as comet comes alive

  SpaceFlight InsiderJune 14th, 2014

  Since its launch in 2004, Rosetta has been traveling through space, patiently awaiting its mission – a rendezvous and landing on a comet. Composed of an orbiter and lander, the Rosetta spacecraft was awakened from a 957 day hibernation back in January and is slated to be the first vehicle to both orbit and land […]

• Hubble Space Telescope spots asteroid with six comet-like tails

  Jim SharkeyNovember 8th, 2013

  Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to observe objects in our solar system’s asteroid belt have made a unique find, an asteroid about 112 million miles from Earth with six comet-like tails of dust radiating from it like the spokes of a wheel. The asteroid, designated as P/2013 P5, resembles a rotating lawn sprinkler, unlike […]

• ISON vs. Kohoutek, “Comet of the Century”

  SpaceFlight InsiderOctober 18th, 2013

  Today, NASA released this stunning Hubble photo of Comet ISON, showing its nucleus fully intact. Its form is looking good as it heads closer to us, with its closest pass by our Sun on November 28. So far, there are no signs of the nucleus fragmenting or disintegrating. Time will tell how spectacular ISON’s show […]