Last week , as the Rosetta spacecraft came within 8,700 mile of its destination comet , it send back range of a function of what appear to bea eddy rubber ducky in space . Now , using the same datum , researchers have make a 3D simulation of the physical object . And , well , it still sorta looks like a safe ducky .
To make this animated role model , the ESA researchers interpolated the data point to smooth out the pixels . They also changed the position of the dark strip across the “ neck opening ” of the comet by change the commission of the illumination , thus make the shadow less prominent .
More from theESA :
One expanse of the neck seems significantly lustrous than surrounding regions . This bright neighborhood , seen most clearly in the first image , may ensue from departure in surface typography or grain size . For instance , could it be a region of freshly exposed icing or the product of resurfacing . Alternatively , it could be a topographical effect . The crusade of this bright neighborhood will become clearer once higher - resolving power images and spectral data are available .
The comet ’s cervix , that is , the join between the two segment of the comet nucleus , will hold important clues to the comet ’s development history . Studying this region from penny-pinching up , not just with image but also with other instruments to assess its composition , will aid determine if the comet is a result of two separate bodies that are fused together , or if it is one objective that has eat at in a dramatic fashion to produce the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe we see .
Other features are also becoming apparent , although caution must still be exercised before take out any robust scientific finish . But there is more understanding this hebdomad to speculate that there might be a prominent clinical depression – maybe an shock volcanic crater – on the smaller lobe of the comet ( towards the bottom in the first image in the sequence ) . The images have a settlement of 100 metres per pel , implying that this feature could be several hundred metres across . If it does indeed turn out to be an impact crater then its turgid sizing – along with theme information collected later – will help teach us about the comet ’s national properties , perhaps offering information on its intensity level and porousness .
This projection is go to get moderately bloody cool!And just look until the investigation lands on this affair .
[ ESA ]
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