# Why isn't comet 67P round? Why do they call it "sound" what they're now finding? Why "67P?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 13, 2014, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519 "2014-11-13T10:19:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519/1 "2014-11-13T10:19:58Z")
See three questions. [Lots of pictures and stories](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2831125/Rosetta-mission-broken-thruster-computer-glitch-scupper-today-s-historic-landing-comet-67P.html). (It’s quite extraordinary for a paper “tabloid journalism.”) The singing comet. Why is it named 67P? Personally, I think they should have come with a name name, even if it upset the standard nomenclature (which I am guessing is the derivation of “67P”), given the importance of the mission and need for public interest. ---
**Author:** ![Fish\_Cheer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fish_cheer/32/17179_2.png) [@Fish\_Cheer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish_Cheer)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519/2 "2014-11-13T11:40:24Z")
It’s got a name name already, but that’s hardly any better: 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519/3 "2014-11-13T11:46:17Z")
Its full name is 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, which is named after its discovers , Klim Ivanovych Churyumov and Svetlana Ivanovna Gerasimenko Looks like 67P is for the 67th Periodic (orbit less than 200 years) Comet Brian ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519/4 "2014-11-13T11:56:16Z")
The comet isn’t spherical because it isn’t massive enough for its gravity of overcome other opposing forces. It wasn’t the original target comet. Originally they were aiming for 46P/Wirtanen but the window closed on them due to a launch failure. Comet naming follows a format to allow for the relatively quick naming of bodies discovered since we are discovering so many. Wiki says: > [@](#): > > Increasing numbers of comet discoveries made this procedure awkward, as did the delay between discovery and perihelion passage before the permanent name could be assigned. As a result, in 1994 the International Astronomical Union approved a new naming system. Comets are now designated by the year of their discovery followed by a letter indicating the half-month of the discovery and a number indicating the order of discovery (a system similar to that already used for asteroids), so that the fourth comet discovered in the second half of February 2006, for example, would be designated 2006 D4. Prefixes are also added to indicate the nature of the comet: > > ``` > P/ indicates a periodic comet (defined for these purposes as any comet with an orbital period of less than 200 years or confirmed observations at more than one perihelion passage).[5] > C/ indicates a non-periodic comet (defined as any comet that is not periodic according to the preceding definition). > X/ indicates a comet for which no reliable orbit could be calculated (generally, historical comets). > D/ indicates a periodic comet that has disappeared, broken up, or been lost.[5] > A/ indicates an object that was mistakenly identified as a comet, but is actually a minor planet. > > ``` Finally they call it sound the same why they tell you space has a flavour. It’s good press and it kind of describes what they found - unexpected variations in the magnetic field strength. ---
**Author:** ![BOOM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c4cdca/32.png) [@BOOM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BOOM)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519/5 "2014-11-13T12:46:37Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > [Lots of pictures and stories](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2831125/Rosetta-mission-broken-thruster-computer-glitch-scupper-today-s-historic-landing-comet-67P.html). (It’s quite extraordinary for a paper “tabloid journalism.”) Hell of a link! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519/6 "2014-11-13T15:05:13Z")
> [@BOOM](#): > > Hell of a link! Thanks. Thanks, **BOOM!**! Welome to SD, **BOOM!**! Look forward to seeing your name **BOOM!** around, **BOOM!**! ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519/7 "2014-11-13T16:25:02Z")
Just a slight little aside, I see that Klim Churyumov and Svetlana Gerasimenko are both still alive (if Wikipedia is up to date) - were either of them present during the initial rendezvous or the landing? I’d imagine it would be extremely exciting for them, the first to discover and catch a glimpse of this object, to actually see it up close and personal. ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519/8 "2014-11-13T16:32:41Z")
> [@Frazzled](#): > > Just a slight little aside, I see that Klim Churyumov and Svetlana Gerasimenko are both still alive (if Wikipedia is up to date) - were either of them present during the initial rendezvous or the landing? I’d imagine it would be extremely exciting for them, the first to discover and catch a glimpse of this object, to actually see it up close and personal. They were present during the live streaming of the landing, although in different locations. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519/9 "2014-11-13T16:37:24Z")
[Here’s a pic of Churyumov](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/12/1415815553414_wps_4_epa04486930_The_Ukrainian.jpg) hugging the General Director of the ESA at the ESA control center. I haven’t seen any pics of Gerasimenko at the event. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519/10 "2014-11-13T18:20:42Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > [Here’s a pic of Churyumov](http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/11/12/1415815553414_wps_4_epa04486930_The_Ukrainian.jpg) hugging the General Director of the ESA at the ESA control center. > > I haven’t seen any pics of Gerasimenko at the event. What’s that orange thing on his wrist? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519/11 "2014-11-13T18:35:29Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > What’s that orange thing on his wrist? Wild guess - it’s a wristband of solidarity with the aims of the Ukrainian Orange Revolution (He’s Ukrainian) ---
**Author:** ![Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac8455/32.png) [@Your\_Great\_Darsh\_Face](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Your_Great_Darsh_Face)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519/12 "2014-11-13T21:13:13Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > Thanks, **BOOM!**! Welome to SD, **BOOM!**! Look forward to seeing your name **BOOM!** around, **BOOM!**! Didn’t that guy write a poem about The German Guns one time? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519/13 "2014-11-13T21:46:07Z")
No, he invented the slap shot in hockey. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2014, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-isnt-comet-67p-round-why-do-they-call-it-sound-what-theyre-now-finding-why-67p/704519/14 "2014-11-14T10:42:18Z")
They should call it the Lion Comet. Its resemblance to a lion in [this picture](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Comet_67P_on_19_September_2014_NavCam_mosaic.jpg) is uncanny. I’m not the only one to recognize this; someone on reddit noticed the same thing.