Why comets and asteroids are so important to understand our solar system
It is believed that comets and asteroids are the relics of the material that formed the solar system. They would not have evolved and could inform us about the chemical composition, the size, and the formation process of the protosolar nebula. It was long thought that the water found on Earth came from comets, but according to the latest results from Rosetta (ESA’s probe on the Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet) and Dawn (NASA’s probe on the Vesta and Ceres asteroids), it seems more likely that it comes from asteroids.
Comet Churi onto Paris. Credit Comet: ESA/Rosetta/Navcam; background map: GoogleMaps
Earth, Moon and Ceres. Credit NASA.
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