... and will reach its closest approach — about 190 million miles — in early December. Researchers believe the comet formed in a solar system beyond ours and was ejected into interstellar space as a consequence of a near-collision with...
... favours an impact scenario instead. Called the Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis, this theory postulates that a fragmented comet slammed into the Earth causing widespread wildfires (biomass burning), rapid climatic changes, megafaunal extinctions and...
...the Solar System on 19 April, as the PanSTARRS non-periodic comet will also by flying by that day at a distance of 175 million... kilometres. Also known as the C/2011 L4, the comet is expected to be visible at dawn with binoculars. It was ...
... in accuracy and stability. They used new optical navigation techniques - identifying landmarks on the camera pictures of the comet and using them for triangulations to determine the position and velocity of the spacecraft relative to the surface...
...exciting of the entire mission." Rosetta's impact with the comet is scheduled for 1040GMT on September 30th. Roughly 40 ... control to attempt taking measurements from closer to the comet than would have been considered safe under regular operating ...
... other hand, has the tell-tale dust dispersal signatures of a comet as it nears the Sun. Discovered a month earlier, C/2016 ... its first inauguration. If 2016 WF9 turns out to be a comet, it would be the 10th discovered since NEOWISE was brought out ...