There’s a Crack Forming on Rosetta’s 67P. Is it Breaking Up?

universetoday.com ^ | on January 24, 2015 | Tim Reyes

[BenLurkin]

The crack, or fissure, could spell the beginning of the end for comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. It is located in the neck area, in the region named Hapi, between the two lobes that make 67P appear so much like a Rubber Duck from a distance. The fissure could represent a focal point of many properties and forces at work, such as the rotation rate and axis – basically head over heels of the comet. The fissure lies in the most active area at present, and possibly the most active area overall. Though the Hapi region appears to receive nearly constant sunlight, at this time, Rosetta measurements (below) show otherwise – receiving 15% less sunlight than elsewhere

[BenLurkin]

Send glue and duct tape

#SaveTheComet!

[beethovenfan]

Bush’s fault.

[DirtyPigpen]

We got a great big convoy rockin through the night.

See my name.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

If it broke up, would the pieces follow the same path as what is now projected?

It will unless some other force acts upon the pieces. Think Isaac Newton.

[babygene]

“It will unless some other force acts upon the pieces. Think Isaac Newton.”

If it’s cracking wouldn’t that suggest there are forces acting on it?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Well....not so much 'forces' as 'stresses'. The solar wind, heat, gravity stretching things at a micro level. But if the pieces coming off of the comet has sufficient mass they will move with the comet and the solar wind will have little effect.

What I was referring to is like anything ejected from a moving spacecraft. The ejecta is moving at the same speed and will continue to do so and very likely at the same of very similar trajectory. Unlike tossing an apple core from an open car window where air friction acts on it immediately.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks left that other site, extra to APoD.

[left that other site]

Breaking up is hard to do.

[SunkenCiv]

Bad (bad) Blood (blood) the b*tch is in the smile the lie is on the lips such an evil child

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbad22CKlB4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTTVx—i3m0

[left that other site]

I remember the Neil Sedaka song but not the Elton john song.

[Jack Hydrazine]

That’s kewl!

[SunkenCiv]

Duet.

[babygene]

“Well....not so much ‘forces’ as ‘stresses’.”

I thought I read that it was rotating. If that was the case, there would be centrifugal force would there not?

Also Stress is caused by a force is it not?

[left that other site]

Just Duet?

[SunkenCiv]

http://www.google.com/images?q=just+duet&sa=X&oi=image_result_group

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Also Stress is caused by a force is it not?

Yes. But not of sufficient strength to change the path of a comet. Even one half the size of Rosetta 67P.

[fone]

Well thanks for the ping.
Interesting times indeed.