Comet 67P passes perihelion with Rosetta still in orbit
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.029120
BBC : On Thursday at 2:03 GMT, Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko passed through the point on its orbit when it is closest to the Sun. The comet is the target of the European Space Agency’s Rosetta orbiter and Philae lander. Rosetta is still in orbit around the comet and is providing data back to Earth, but Philae has been out of contact for several weeks. Like Earth, the comet will not experience peak warmth synchronous with its closest approach, but when it will occur is unknown. One of the Rosetta mission’s goals is to determine when that is. The orbiter has been capturing images of the release of gas and dust jets as the comet’s ice melts. To avoid the material, it has been moved out to a 300-km orbit but will likely be returned to 10–30 km when activity dies down.
