It's Raining Comets

Spitzer_ssc2011-08a_1024

spitzer_ssc2011-08a October 19th, 2011

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC)

This artist's conception illustrates a storm of comets around a star near our own, called Eta Corvi. Evidence for this barrage comes from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, whose infrared detectors picked up indications that one or more comets was recently torn to shreds after colliding with a rocky body. In this artist's conception, one such giant comet is shown smashing into a rocky planet, flinging ice- and carbon-rich dust into space, while also smashing water and organics into the surface of the planet. A glowing red flash captures the moment of impact on the planet. Yellow-white Eta Corvi is shown to the left, with still more comets streaming toward it.

Spitzer detected spectral signatures of water ice, organics and rock around Eta Corvi -- key ingredients of comets. This is the first time that evidence for such a comet storm has been seen around another star. Eta Corvi is just about the right age, about one billion years old, to be experiencing a bombardment of comets akin to what occurred in our own solar system at 600 to 800 millions years of age, termed the Late Heavy Bombardment.

Scientists say the Late Heavy Bombardment was triggered in our solar system by the migration of our outer planets, which jostled icy comets about, sending some of them flying inward. The incoming comets scarred our moon and pummeled our inner planets. They may have even brought materials to Earth that helped kick start life.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/4772-ssc2011-08a-It-s-Raining-Comets

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: Public Domain

View Options

Image Details

Image Type
Artwork
Object Name
Eta Corvi
Subject - Milky Way
Planet > Type > Terrestrial
Interplanetary Body > Comet
Star > Spectral Type > F
Star > Circumstellar Material > Disk > Debris

Distance

Universescale1
59 light years
Spitzer_ssc2011-08a_1280
×
ID
ssc2011-08a
Subject Category
B.1.1.1   B.2.2   B.3.3.4   B.3.7.2.3  
Subject Name
Eta Corvi
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC)
Release Date
2011-10-19
Lightyears
59
Redshift
59
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/4772-ssc2011-08a-It-s-Raining-Comets
Type
Artwork
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Instrument
Color Assignment
Band
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
Equinox
Reference Value
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
Public Domain
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
ssc2011-08a.tif
Metadata Date
2011-10-19
Metadata Version
1.2
×

 

Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

×
Universescalefull
59 light years

Providers | Sign In