Rosetta’s comet takes shape

In current images obtained by OSIRIS, Rosetta’s scientific imaging system, the nucleus of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko covers good four pixels

Getting closer to 67P comet
03/07/2014

Almost there! ESA’s spacecraft Rosetta eases closer and closer to comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and has now reached a distance comparable to the small stretch of space that separates satellites in geo-stationary orbit around Earth. In new images taken by OSIRIS, Rosetta’s onboard scientific imaging system, the comet’s nucleus is beginning to cover several pixels. The resolved images now give scientists a first hunch of its shape.

Cometa 67P

Figure 1: First resolved images of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko show the nucleus rotating with a rotation period of 12.4 hours. This set of 36 images was obtained by OSIRIS’ narrow angle camera (NAC) on June 27th and June 28th and covers one such period.

Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

More info: 

Web of the mission: http://sci.esa.int/rosetta/