Rosetta’s descent continues. Here’s an OSIRIS narrow-angle camera Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko captured at 10:14 GMT from an altitude of about 1.2 km on 30 September.
Comet 67P/C-G viewed with Rosetta’s OSIRIS NAC on 30 September 2016, 1.2 km from the surface. Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA
The image scale is about 2.3 cm/pixel and the image measures about 33 m across.
The image shows details near the pit named Deir el-Medina, visible near the centre of the previously published mosaic of NAC images.
In the lower right corner is the bottom of the pit, while the dark band crossing the image diagonally from right to left is the shadow of the pit wall; the terrain above the pit is visible in the upper left corner.
Note: details added to this post on 2 October.
Discussion: 5 comments
Amazing science, what a way to end an incredibly successful mission. Congratulations to everyone involved.
I was wondering if OSIRIS was going to publish this image processed to show the detail within the shadowed areas, like with Philae’s discovery image…
That’s right Marco, in Emily’s hangout this question was asked by a spectator and it was said (by Silvain?) that the images would indeed be good to see inside the shadows, even useing Philae’s image as an example!
So, I was also wondering, Marco, whether this shot with pitch black shadows could be enhanced, like Philae’s last image.
Also, Emily, are there more images between the 5.3 km shot (I think) and the last couple of very close images, that we have not seen yet? It seems there was time between shots if you compare the distance / time between the last two, that there could have been more images below the 5.3 km shot.
(Does that make sense?)
Thanks!
Believe the view is of an ERODING -not an eroded- surface. No loose material below the photonic surface.
https://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2016/09/Comet_from_1.2_km_narrow-angle_camera
Oops again, final image 20 meters not 60. Sorry, I was thinking in feet when I made my comment.
STILL,,, Osiris still focuses at 15 meters right? Wait, maybe that lab shot was a little blurry too, it would be good to compare.
Silvain came close to his prediction of 15 meters on the Hangout, kudos!