Comet 67P's hidden nitrogen may solve a solar system puzzle

摘要

COMETS appear to have 10 times less nitrogen than they ought to, based on our understanding of how they form, but a finding from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko might reveal how they have been hiding this element. The European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft orbited 67P between 2014 and 2016. Analysis of the light bouncing off the comet revealed that some compound was absorbing light from its surface, but researchers couldn't immediately identify this chemical.