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back to article Rosetta SNIFFS molecular nitrogen on Comet 67P

The Rosetta orbiter has spotted molecular nitrogen, N2, on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, the European Space Agency (ESA) has confirmed. The ESA's relaying news from a freshly-published paper titled molecular nitrogen in comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko indicates a low formation temperature. The presence of nitrogen on 67P …

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  1. Neil Barnes Silver badge
    Coat

    I suppose

    It's better to nitrogenate than never...

    2 0 Reply
    1. Fink-Nottle
      Reply Icon

      Re: I suppose

      Amide is a terrible thing to waste.

      3 1 Reply
  2. The last doughnut

    I read somewhere there's very little nitrogen on Mars.

    0 0 Reply
    1. cray74
      Reply Icon

      The Martian atmosphere is 2% nitrogen, similar to Venus's 3%.

      :)

      1 0 Reply
    2. Brewster's Angle Grinder Silver badge
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      I imagine it's been stripped by the solar wind - much as happened to the hydrogen (water).

      1 0 Reply
    3. Anonymous Coward
      Reply Icon
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: very little nitrogen on Mars

      Mars needs women, too.

      Coincidence?

      0 0 Reply

  3. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. phil dude
      Reply Icon
      Boffin

      Re: Send Fritz Haber.

      via fertiliser?

      Microbes fix the N2 that the plants use...

      P.

      1 0 Reply
  4. Tom 7

    Does that mean we have to rename it

    to 63K?

    1 0 Reply
  5. Primus Secundus Tertius

    Mostly as hydride

    Given the overwhelming abundance of hydrogen in the universe, one might expect carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen to be present as hydrides: CH4, NH3, OH2.

    So the existence of molecular nitrogen needs to be explained. Cue hand waving about evolved planets.

    0 1 Reply
    1. phil dude
      Reply Icon
      Coat

      Re: Mostly as hydride

      Well Nitrogen freezes at 63K and the majority of the universe is 1K, I'm guessing the reaction rate might be very, very slow?

      P.

      1 0 Reply
  6. Pascal Monett Silver badge
    Pint

    Ah, Science

    Even when the news is bad, it's still good to have.

    3 1 Reply
  7. phil dude
    Thumb Up

    mod up!

    love the sentiment...!

    P.

    0 0 Reply
  8. Martin Budden Silver badge

    sample size

    "If 67P is a typical comet"

    That's a pretty wild guess given the sample size of 1.

    1 0 Reply

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