Asteroids & comets · Churyumov–Gerasimenko
Comet 67P
Orbits the Sun every 6.4 years · Light crosses it in 13 millionths of a second
- Across
- 4.0 km
- Vs Earth
- 1/3,200 of Earth
- Mass
- 1.0 × 10¹³ kg
Open Comet 67P in Cosmic Scale
About
67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko is a comet shaped like a rubber duck, two lumps joined by a neck. ESA's Rosetta orbited it for two years from 2014 and dropped the Philae lander onto its surface — the first landing on a comet.
The first comet ever orbited and landed on, by Rosetta and Philae in 2014.
At a glance
| Size | About 4 km long |
|---|---|
| Orbit | 6.4 years |
| Visited | Rosetta and Philae, 2014–2016 |
| Density | About half that of water |
Did you know
- Philae bounced twice and came to rest in a shadow, but still sent back data.
- Its water has a different mix of hydrogen types from Earth's oceans, so comets like it did not bring most of our water.
- Rosetta ended its mission by touching down on the comet in 2016.