Abstract
The Ptolemy instrument on the Philae lander (of the Rosetta space mission) was able to make measurements of the major volatiles, water, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, directly at the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. We give some background to the mission and highlight those instruments that have already given insights into the notion of water in comets, and which will continue to do so as more results are either acquired or more fully interpreted. On the basis of our results, we show how comets may in fact be heterogeneous over their surface, and how surface measurements can be used in a quest to comprehend the daily cycles of processes that affect the evolution of comets.
This article is part of the themed issue ‘The origin, history and role of water in the evolution of the inner Solar System’.
Funder
Science and Technology Facilities Council
UK Space Agency
Subject
General Physics and Astronomy,General Engineering,General Mathematics
Cited by
2 articles.
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1. Comet 67P/CG Nucleus Composition and Comparison to Other Comets;Space Science Reviews;2019-02
2. The origin, history and role of water in the evolution of the inner Solar System;Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences;2017-04-17