SAEDNEWS: A massive rock rising about a kilometer high dominates the surface of comet Churyumov–Gerasimenko (CG), as seen in NASA’s Image of the Day. This remarkable structure was discovered by the robotic spacecraft Rosetta, launched by the European Space Agency (ESA), which orbited and studied the comet from 2014 to 2016.
According to the Science Service of Saed News, despite this comet’s cliff reaching a height of one kilometer, the extremely low gravity on the surface of Comet CG may eliminate the risk of jumping off it! At the base of the cliff, a relatively flat area is visible, scattered with large boulders—some reaching up to 20 meters in diameter. Data collected by Rosetta indicate that the deuterium isotope ratio in the comet’s ice differs from that of Earth’s ocean water, suggesting that the origin of this ice is likely different from the source of our planet’s oceans.
The spacecraft began its mission to Comet CG in 2004. Rosetta was launched aboard an Ariane 5 rocket, traveling around Jupiter’s orbit, and in 2014—after 10 years, 5 months, and 4 days—it finally reached the comet. The mission provided scientists with invaluable data on the origins of our solar system.
Ultimately, in 2016, Rosetta landed on the comet’s surface in a planned descent, concluding its mission. During the landing, it captured highly detailed images and data of the comet’s surface. Its scientific instruments remained active until the very end, transmitting valuable information about the comet’s structure and surface composition. The spacecraft’s name, Rosetta, is derived from the famous Rosetta Stone, a stone slab inscribed in three languages that helped humans decode ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs. Similarly, Rosetta was humanity’s effort to decipher the mysteries of comets and the history of the solar system.
