Giotto Extended Mission: Magnetometer Readings from Comet Grigg-Skjellerup Flyby

NASA's Giotto spacecraft magnetometer data recorded during its July 1992 flyby of Comet P/Grigg-Skjellerup. The dataset contains raw readings and time-averaged magnetic field vectors from the encounter period spanning 3 July to 11 July 1992. It was last updated on the datagov platform in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling the magnetic environment around a comet based on the recorded magnetic field vectors.
• Analyzing solar wind interaction dynamics with a comet's coma using time-series magnetometer data.
• Calibrating or validating magnetospheric models with in-situ measurements from a spacecraft flyby.
• Studying temporal variations in the magnetic field during a close planetary encounter.

Strengths

• Data originates from a specific NASA space mission, the Giotto spacecraft.
• Includes both raw and processed (time-averaged) data products for the encounter.
• Covers a defined encounter period from 3 July to 11 July 1992.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Recorded by the magnetometer instrument aboard the Giotto spacecraft.

Time Range

3 July 1992 to 11 July 1992

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 13:42:12.034949; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Trajectory of the Giotto spacecraft during its flyby of Comet P/Grigg-Skjellerup.