Comet 67P reached closest to Earth on Friday (November 12). At present it can be seen with scientific telescopes and now it will not come towards our planet for the next 200 years. It was discovered in 1969 and for the first time in 2014, the spacecraft landed on Comet 67P. According to reports, it was 39 million miles (62.8 million km) from Earth at its closest distance at 7:50 p.m. within the orbit of Mars.
Astronomy Now gave information about its status in its report. Nine days ago, the comet in its elliptical orbit around the Sun passed through perihelion, the closest point to the Sun. At this point the comet was about 112 million miles (181 million km) away from the Sun. According to EarthSky, a comet revolves around the Sun and completes its orbit in six and a half years.
will now be seen in 2214
It has been said in the report that now the path of this comet will start separating from the Earth and it will not pass close to us till the year 2214. This means that this is the best time to witness this extremely rare sight. It is believed that it can be found close to Pollux star. Comet 67P came to international media attention in 2014, when a European mission named Rosetta began orbiting the icy body after a 10-year journey to the Solar System.
Spacecraft landed in December 2014
Rosetta orbited the comet for more than two and a half years, measuring and observing the surface and its surroundings. The highlight of the mission was the landing of the Philae spacecraft that Rosetta brought with it. In December 2014, a spacecraft was able to land on a comet for the first time. However, it faced some difficulties while landing. Philae bounced twice on the first touchdown and stayed at a position other than the one chosen by the scientists.
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