Skip to main content
Telescopes and space missions

Telescopes and space missions

What can we learn from comets?

13 Apr 2016

There has been a renewed fascination with comets ever since the European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission made its rendezvous with comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in 2014. But beyond the sheer engineering triumph of reaching the icy rock and setting the “Philae” lander on its surface, why are astrophysicists so excited comets? In this video from our 100 Second Science series, Alan Fitzsimmons of Queen’s University Belfast explains how studying comets can teach us about the history and evolution of our solar system. Fitzsimmons believes we can also use the study of such comets to better understand planetary evolution in other solar systems.

If you enjoyed this video explainer, then check out more from our 100 Second Science series.

Copyright © 2024 by IOP Publishing Ltd and individual contributors