Rosetta, Philae, Comet 67P & life.

The Rosetta probe is due to reach Comet 67P on 6th August.Comet 67P is thought to contain water and maybe amino acids. If the probe (and its companion probe, Philae, which will be anchored on the meteor) detects the same ratio of hydrogen and deuterium isotopes as in our oceans it will be pretty solid evidence that it was such meteors that delivered water to our arrid planet after it cooled.Both probes will also scan the comet's gasses looking for amino acids - the 'building blocks of life.'Can't wait.....Close encounter with Comet 67P may reveal origins of life on Earth | Comets | The Guardian Edited by Tangle, : No reason given.

Thread copied here from the Rosetta, Philae, Comet 67P & life. thread in the Proposed New Topics forum.

One week away

What is it that is so special about the ratio of isotopes in our oceans that other sources of water would not be expected to have similar ratios?Why would water need to be "delivered" to our planet? Why could it not have formed in situ ?? Is it just because the earth would have been hot when it formed? Wouldn't that be true of any celestial body... at least at one time?HBDEdited by herebedragons, : add subtitle

I'm not sure 'special' is the right word, but past measurements of the abundance of elements in water in a few comets have been made, and the majority of the results have indicated about twice as high a deuterium to hydrogen ratio in comets as is found in the oceans on earth. By contrast the water in meteorites has turned out to have ratios matching that found on earth's oceans. So, possibly water may have arrived on meteorites and asteroids rather than comets.So instances of comets with similar ratios to that found in the earth's oceans are interesting because they suggest that perhaps the water on earth might come from comets. So far only 1 or 2 comets have been found that might have isotopic hydrogen ratios like the water found on earth. Most of the lighter stuff like hydrogen and water got moved towards the outer part of the solar system during formation resulting in rocky inner planets and gaseous/icy outer planets. If this is correct, then we need an explanation for why there is so much water on earth. Edited by NoNukes, : No reason given.

Getting closer: Also, here's a cool animation of the trajectory:Rosetta’s twelve-year journey in space - 421241 - ESA embed video

Where can I buy me a "gravity assist?"

Your wife should be sufficient. Hey-yo!

Arewethereyet arewethereyet arewethereyet?

Somebodies spents lotsa time on that path ....

Makes you wonder how all those brain-washed scientists figured it out when there's nobody out there in space to witness all of it

they musta been stoned man

Yes. Let's we play 'eye spy.'i spy with my little eye something beginning with 'm'MeteorBugger.

Well Rosetta has arrived and is in orbit around the meteor The lander doesn't deploy until November...pfnnrr

As the bartender said to the bear, why the big pause?