Friday, 30 October 2015

Rosetta spacecraft detects molecular oxygen outgassing from Comet 67P

Artist's concept of the Philae lander and Rosetta orbiter, which has detected oxygen molecules in gases ...

Despite being the third most abundant element in the Universe, molecular oxygen, or O₂, is relatively rare off Earth. That's why it raised a few eyebrows at ESA when the space agency's Rosetta spacecraft discovered oxygen molecules jetting out of the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. According to the Rosetta team, the oxygen is outgassing in such abundance that its presence may date back to the formation of the comet over 4.6 billion years ago.

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Section: Space

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from Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine http://ift.tt/1HfNU9q

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