Scientists Chronicle the Shifting Colors of a Comet's 'Seasons'

The Rosetta mission found a regular pattern of varying red and blue hues on the comet as it passed near to and then away from the sun.

By Erika K. Carlson
Feb 5, 2020 9:30 PMFeb 5, 2020 10:45 PM
rosetta.jpg
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko | ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM

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The European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft was the first to orbit a comet when it circled Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from 2014 to 2016. Rosetta’s up-close look at 67P has given scientists an unprecedented chance to understand what these small, icy worlds are like.

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