Rosetta witnesses turbulent comet outburst

Comet outbursts can be highly unpredictable, but Rosetta happened to be on watch during one particularly turbulent blast that occurred on February 19.

According to a recently published news release by the European Space Agency, or ESA, the probe was able to document the event with 9 of its instruments, among which were cameras, gas and plasma analysis tools, and dust collectors.

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Matt Taylor, one of the team members, noted, "By happy coincidence, we were pointing the majority of instruments at the comet at this time, and having these simultaneous measurements provides us with the most complete set of data on an outburst ever collected."

Analysis thus far indicates the event, which occurred in the Atum region, was likely triggered when the sun began to shine on the area, creating thermal stress and prompting a landslide.

That activity is believed to have exposed water ice to the sun's rays, resulting in it turning into gas and creating a cloud of debris.

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