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Credit & Copyright: ESA,
Rosetta,
MPS, OSIRIS;
UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA;
Animation: Jacint Roger Perez
Explanation:
You couldn't really be caught
in this blizzard while standing by a cliff on
periodic comet
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
Orbiting the comet in June of 2016, the
Rosetta
spacecraft's narrow angle camera did record streaks of dust
and ice particles similar to snow as they drifted across the
field of view close to the camera and
above the comet's surface.
Still, some of the
bright
specks
in the scene are likely due to a rain
of energetic charged particles or
cosmic rays
hitting the camera, and the dense background of
stars in the direction of the constellation of the Big Dog
(Canis Major).
In the video, the background
stars are easy to spot trailing from top to bottom.
The stunning movie was constructed from 33
consecutive
images
taken over 25 minutes while Rosetta cruised some 13 kilometers from
the comet's nucleus.
In September 2016, the nucleus became the final
resting place for the Rosetta spacecraft after its
mission was ended with a successful controlled impact on
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
Animation: Jacint Roger Perez
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: comet
Publications with words: comet
See also:
- APOD: 2024 April 17 Á Total Eclipse and Comets
- APOD: 2024 April 8 Á The Changing Ion Tail of Comet Pons Brooks
- Comet Pons-Brooks at Night
- APOD: 2024 March 18 Á Comet Pons Brooks Swirling Coma
- Comet 12P/Pons Brooks in Northern Spring
- Structure in the Tail of Comet 12P/Pons Brooks
- Vega and Comet 12P Pons-Brooks