Astronomers now know what it smells like a comet. European probe Rossetta “przewąchała” nucleus of comet 67P / Churiumov-Gerasimienko. It turned out that the smell is not pleasant, simply put, the comet stinks of rotten eggs with the addition of bitter almonds. You can also detect similarities with the cat litter box. All through the number of carbon and sulfur. Detect them in the gaseous envelope of the comet probe Rosetta instruments.
Published Data perplexed astronomers in excellent mood. Molecules of hydrogen sulfide, sulfur dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, and methanol not only confirmed that the comet could ever actually bring to Earth organic building blocks for life, but appeared much earlier than expected. The researchers expected that such molecules will be closer to the Sun, the comet’s nucleus begins to intensify the heat and evaporate.
“It’s wonderful, you wait 10 years, and suddenly you see it up close,” – says Kathrin Altwegg of the University of Bern in Switzerland, head of research with the help of the “electronic nose” Rosetta, a set of spectrometers ROSINA (Rosetta Orbiter Spectrometer for Ion and Neutral Analysis – “What surprised us was the fact it was so far from the Sun, we have evidence of the presence of the entire set of chemical substances.”
Research with the help of sensor ROSINA started soon after arrival Rosetta to comet nucleus 67P / CG. Although the comet is still more than 400 million kilometers from the Sun, readings immediately showed interesting results. expected at most of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, are still steam, ammonia, methane and methanol. Upon a few months on the list of discovered particles appeared even formaldehyde, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen cyanide, sulfur dioxide and carbon disulfide.
According to Kathrin Altwegg on a comet can find a whole set of more or less unpleasant odors from rotten eggs, cat litter box, or horse stables, the smell of alcohol, vinegar, or bitter almonds. Their concentration is not high, standing on a comet would not feel anything, but our dog has probably yes.
No comments:
Post a Comment