Scientists have known for more than a century that comets are made of mostly rock and frozen water. Which made them wonder: Did our planet's own water come from comet impacts early in Earth's history?
Rosetta and Philae will elucidate this question by giving us a crystal clear picture of the makeup of comet C-G's ice. Because ice, just like liquid water, can be composed of different flavors of hydrogen and oxygen called isotopes, we'll soon be able to compare how much this comet's water varies compared to what researchers think was the makeup of Earth's early ocean water.
Originally published by Popular Mechanics
Michael Jäger & Gerald Rhemann
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