Rubber Duck-Shaped Comet's Odd Appearance Explained
- 9 years ago
The European Space Agency is currently tailing a rubber duck-shaped comet with a space probe—and scientists now believe they know how the hurtling collection of ice, rock and dust got its toy-like shape.
The oddly-shaped comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko used to be two separate celestial rocks.
In what's being called "an unambiguous answer" to the question of whether the rubber duck-shaped comet was formed through erosion or collision, the European Space Agency says collision is in fact the culprit.
Specifically, two slow-moving comets ran into each other during the salad days of our solar system and fused together—leaving a neck-like connection point and giving the comet the appearance
The oddly-shaped comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko used to be two separate celestial rocks.
In what's being called "an unambiguous answer" to the question of whether the rubber duck-shaped comet was formed through erosion or collision, the European Space Agency says collision is in fact the culprit.
Specifically, two slow-moving comets ran into each other during the salad days of our solar system and fused together—leaving a neck-like connection point and giving the comet the appearance