Scientists have surveyed nearly 70 percent of Comet 67P/Churymov-Gerasimenko and found out it's got "heavy water" ice covering its surface.

The Philae lander, which starred in the dramatic Nov. 12 landing on the sun-orbiting Comet 67P/, collected data for 57 hours before going into hibernation. Since then, the Rosetta spacecraft has continued to orbit the comet, but the exact location of the lost lander is still uncertain.

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"What we are looking for is a Mickey Mouse-like pattern, because that's what its feet look like, with three little circles. We have found about five or six of them now, but they can be everywhere," said Dennis Bodewits, a research scientist at the University of Maryland.

After its arrival, the robot apparently bounced into a shadowed area, likely beneath a cliff or some large rocks. Because Philae is in darkness, the solar panels powering it weren't capable of receiving power, and caused the robot into hibernation on November 15.

Philae carries 20 different scientific measuring instruments with different purposes. Research scientist Lori Feaga said some are capable of "sniffing" gases produced by the comet surface, while others collect and analyze various dust samples.

Even Philae is remains missing, scientists were able to accumulate a great deal of invaluable data. Among their momentous discoveries was that the comet is enveloped in a cloud composed from several gases.

The double-lobed body of the comet is covered by ice molecules. The latter finding supports the hypothesis water existing on Earth was brought by comets, not meteorites.

Water molecules on Comet 67P are rather different than the water on Earth because it contains deuterium, which is a result of an extra neutron added to hydrogen. But the water's still drinkable.

The presence of heavy water ice, however, runs counter to the prevailing theory that comets brought water to the Earth.

Tagscomet 67P, Churyumov-Gerasimenko, NASA, Rosetta mission, comet, space exploration, frozen water, rosetta spacecraft, philae lander