Astronomy Picture of the Day
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featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
2014 September 15
62 Kilometers above Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko
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)
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/Churyumov–Gerasimenko 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?
Tomorrow's picture: salty reflection
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Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(
MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell (
UMCP)
NASA Official: Phillip Newman
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GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
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