Comets May Harbor Icy Volcanoes
Nola Taylor Redd, Astronomy
Volcanoes may not just exist on moons and planets. A comet orbiting between Mars and Jupiter seems to have its own signs of icy volcanism, spewing frozen material instead of hot lava. Rather than a single stagnant mound, however, the eruptions come from a single location multiple times before eventually traveling to another point in the icy crust.The slow rotation of the comet allows the crust to weaken over the course of its day, while carbon monoxide piles up on the surface again during the night. Eventually, the pressure building beneath the surface erupts. Unlike the jets spotted on other...
Volcanoes may not just exist on moons and planets. A comet orbiting between Mars and Jupiter seems to have its own signs of icy volcanism, spewing frozen material instead of hot lava. Rather than a single stagnant mound, however, the eruptions come from a single location multiple times before eventually traveling to another point in the icy crust.The slow rotation of the comet allows the crust to weaken over the course of its day, while carbon monoxide piles up on the surface again during the night. Eventually, the pressure building beneath the surface erupts. Unlike the jets spotted on other...