Rosetta Snaps Asteroid
July 11th 2010 03:28
Category: No Category
Asteriod Lutetia ESA image
The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosetta probe performed a flyby of a massive asteroid named Lutetia. Produced images that could one day help defend Earth from destruction. racing through the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter has 40,000 at 47,000 km/h.
Rosetta flew within 3200 km of the huge potato shaped rock live like I asteroid. Lutetia is believed to be 83.3 miles (134 kilometers) in diameter calculating its density could bring knowledge which could one day help Earth defend itself should an asteroid enters a collision course with our planet.
Lutetia was discovered 150 years ago, it was little more than a point of light to those on Earth. It's only been recently that high-resolution, ground-based imaging has given a vague view of the asteroid, and now we have ring side seat.
knowing its density will help scientists to determine whether they should try the deflect the rock or blow it up.
Rosetta`s images will be analysed and release by the ESA scientists. The asteroid flyby comes halfway through the 10 year voyage, Rosetta was launched in 2004.
One of the biggest gambles in the history of space exploration Rosetta was designed to meet up with a comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, the goal is to find and study these lonely comet wanderers whose origins go back the dawn or solar system about 4.5 billion years ago before plans even existed.
In order for the probe to get to this distant meeting point it has to play a game of planetary billiards. This part of the mission has taken five years using gravitational assist from Earth and Mars. By using the planets to act as a slingshots in order to build up speed to reach the comet in 2014
| 207 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
Comment by S.L.
The Political Brief
Comment by CarlCan
Astroearth
Camera Sense