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APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
62 Kilometers above Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Explanation: Spacecraft Rosetta continues to approach, circle, and map Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Crossing the inner Solar System for ten years to reach the vicinity of the comet last month, the robotic spacecraft continues to image the unusual double-lobed comet nucleus . The reconstructed-color image featured, taken about 10 days ago, indicates how dark this comet nucleus is. On the average, the comet's surface reflects only about four percent of impinging visible light , making it as dark as coal . Comet 67P/ChuryumovGerasimenko spans about four kilometers in length and has a surface gravity so low that an astronaut could jump off of it. In about two months, Rosetta is scheduled to release the first probe ever to attempt a controlled landing on a comet's nucleus.
Astronomers: Has an APOD image ever helped your research?
| Date | September 15, 2014 |
|---|---|
| Credit |
Image Credit: ESA / Rosetta / MPS for OSIRIS Team ; MPS /UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA Additional Processing & Copyright: Elisabetta Bonora & Marco Faccin ( Alive Universe Images ) |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |