Images can be deceiving. Certainly, the comet is not lit, except by
sunlight. As appears to be common with comets, it has a surface coating,
some sort of weathering, that results in an extremely low albedo. That isn't
apparent in an image that has had its white and dark points adjusted for
maximum clarity.
I don't think there is any doubt that the body is very cold in its interior,
and is made of some mixture of ices and stony material. The surface may well
approach room temperature, which is what is driving the boiling away of ices
that produces a coma.
Chris
*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com
----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
To: "Meteorite Mailing List" <[email protected]>; "Ron
Baalke" <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, November 15, 2010 2:46 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] NASA Announces Comet Encounter News Conference
List,
I wonder if these new images will shed new light on the definition of what
a comet is?
Typically the description includes the words frozen and ice in some form.
But clearly based on the close-up visual images. It seems that this thing
is far from being ice. In fact to me it appears to look more like a fiery
hot briquette about ready to throw the steaks on to. It seems from the
photos that this thing is fully lit from the inside core to the surface.
And could not possibly consist of ice in any of it's forms melted or
frozen. Well, maybe the surface stays wet and cold but the inside is far
from cold.
Hopefully this conference will alert us all with an update as to what we
hunters need to be looking for. Because clearly it aint Ice. That's for
sure. But I am dying to find out what it is after all! It seems to me we
should be looking for melted stuff. Really really melted stuff. Has anyone
heard yet what they plan to say the interior is made up of?
My 2 more cents.
Carl
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