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http://www.esa.int/var/esa/storage/imag ... _comet.gif
According to this ESA animation, the Axis of Rotation of P67 c-g seems to pass through the narrowed 'neck' of the comet,
(which is also the area with the most emission activity).
Its Spin Axis is also given a Right ascension: 69 degrees and Declination: 64 degrees.
Is that with respect to solar system ecliptic ?
How does this spin axis align with solar and Jovian spins, (or magnetic fields) ?
What precipitates the coma-producing emissions/discharges, when and if an asteroid becomes cometary ?
Composition, conductance/impedance, ES frictions, its circuit about the sun, something else,
all the above ??
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Size of nucleus:
Small lobe
Large lobe
2.5 km x 2.5 km x 2.0 km
4.1 km x 3.2 km x 1.3 km
Mass 1013 kg
Volume 25 km3
Density 0.4 g/cm3
Rotation period 12.4043 ± 0.0007 * hours
Spin axis Right ascension: 69 degrees
Declination: 64 degrees
Orbital period 6.55 years
Perihelion distance from Sun 186 million km (1.243 AU)
Aphelion distance from Sun 849.7 million km (5.68 AU)
Orbital eccentricity 0.640
Orbital inclination 7.04 degrees
Water vapour production rate 300 ml/s (June 2014)
1-5 l/s (July-August 2014)
Surface temperature 2-5-230 K (July - August 2014)
Subsurface temperature 30-160 K (August 2014)
Gases detected water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, methane, methanol, sodium, magnesium
Dust grains A few tens of microns to a few hundreds of microns
Year of discovery 1969
Discoverers Klim Churyumov &
http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images ... l_of_comet
Wake-up Philae