In a first, scientists observe a comet reversing its spin: "Like pushing a merry-go-round"
CBS News • • science
Key Points:
- Astronomers discovered archival data revealing that comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák dramatically slowed its rotation in 2017 and eventually reversed its spin direction, a unique event in comet studies.
- The comet's rotation slowed due to jets of gas created by melting ice as it neared the sun, which acted like thrusters pushing against its original spin, eventually causing it to spin the opposite way.
- The comet's small nucleus and rapid rotational changes suggest it may soon become unstable, potentially leading to fragmentation or disintegration.
- This discovery highlights the value of NASA's publicly accessible archival data, showing that revisiting old observations can lead to new scientific insights beyond initial studies.
