The Rosetta orbiter, which has spent the last several years orbiting and studying a comet, is scheduled to crash into its surface next Thursday. This crash is intentional, as the comet is drifting too far from the sun for Rosetta to power itself. Now, the European Space Agency says it has chosen the specific location where Rosetta will crash.

In the days leading up to the September 30 impact, Rosetta will drift closer and closer to the comet. Then, on September 29, Rosetta will execute a collision maneuver that will set it on a course toward the comet.

ESA

The area where it will land is called Ma'at. It's a region full of deep pits. When the comet is close to the Sun, these pits are heated by sunlight and produce jets of dust and vapor that create the comet's tail.

As Rosetta nears one of the pits during its collision course, scientists hope it will be able to peer down into the pit. Rosetta will be able to see and take measurements of the interior, which should give scientists a better understanding of the history of the comet and how it formed.

Source: ESA via Slate

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