The challenging detection, by ESA's Rosetta mission, of several isotopes of the noble gas xenon at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has established the first quantitative link between comets and the atmosphere of Earth. The blend of xenon found at the comet closely resembles U-xenon, the primordial mixture that scientists believe was brought to Earth during the early stages of Solar System formation. These measurements suggest that comets contributed about one fifth the amount of xenon in Earth's ancient atmosphere.
News Archive
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06.08.2017 -
06.05.2017Rosetta’s operational mission ended in September 2016, but for the scientists and instrument teams the mission is far from over. Scientists have only scratched the surface analysing the amount of data produced by the mission. As this information is scrutinised, new discoveries are made, including a surprise final extra image taken by the OSIRIS camera during the spacecraft’s controlled descent onto the comet. -
05.30.2017We present a summary of the campaign of remote observations that supported the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission. Telescopes across the globe (and in space) followed comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from before Rosetta's arrival until nearly the end of mission in September 2016. -
05.10.2017The finding shows that oxygen can be generated in space without the need for life, and could influence how researchers search for signs of life on exoplanets. -
05.04.2017A bright outburst of activity from the nucleus of comet 67P, observed by Rosetta in July 2015, is traced back to a cliff that partially collapsed at the same time as the outburst, establishing a link between the two events. -
03.21.2017Images returned from the European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission indicate that during its most recent trip through the inner solar system, the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was a very active place – full of growing fractures, collapsing cliffs and massive rolling boulders. Moving material buried some features on the comet’s surface while exhuming others. A study on 67P’s changing surface was released Tuesday, March 21, in the journal Science. -
03.21.2017Growing fractures, collapsing cliffs, rolling boulders and moving material burying some features on the comet’s surface while exhuming others are among the remarkable changes documented during Rosetta’s mission. -
12.23.2016Watch the amazing cartoon adventures of Rosetta and Philae, now back-to-back in one special feature-length production. -
12.23.2016Now in one complete animation: Rosetta’s trajectory around Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, from arrival to mission end. -
12.23.2016In September–October 2016, over 200 people contributed to the Rosetta Legacy campaign, sharing stories, images, videos, creations and experiences to convey what the mission had meant to them. We decided to collect all contributions in an e-book, to keep a long-lasting record of the mission’s impact on a variety of public audiences.