#CometWatch 6 August
▻http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2015/08/11/cometwatch-6-august
Today’s CometWatch entry is an image of #Comet_67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko taken on 6 August 2015, exactly a year to the day of #Rosetta's historic rendezvous. The image was taken 261 km from the #comet centre. Currently, the comet is around 186 million km from the Sun, and it will reach #perihelion – the closest point to the Sun along its orbit – next Thursday. This image shows an intense comet activity, with prominent outflows and jets of material and the unlit patches of the nucleus standing out as a silhouette against the overall bright background. Due to the increased concentration of gas and dust over the last few months, #rosetta is now studying the comet from safer distances, and is currently operating some 300 km out. In the spirit of celebrating Rosetta’s first year at the comet, we (...)
#Arrival #Comets #Fun_stuff #Images #On_this_day ##perihelion2015 #navcam