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?
Media Credits & Attribution
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 )