Mission scientist reacts to historic first images from the surface of a comet

Europe’s Rosetta mission ended its 12-year mission Friday with a slow-speed belly-flop on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, concluding an interplanetary odyssey that gave humanity a first close-up introduction to a class of objects which has stimulated imaginations for millennia.

This Sunday, a comet will come closer to Mars than any other comet has ever been seen to approach a planet without actually hitting it, sending our assorted spacecraft orbiting the red planet running for cover.

The camera on Rosetta’s Philae lander has snapped a ‘selfie’ with comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in the distance about 16 km away. The image was taken on 7 October and also captures the side of the Rosetta spacecraft and one of the 14 metre-long solar wings. Two images with different exposure times were combined to bring out the faint details in this very high contrast situation. The comet’s active ‘neck’ region is clearly visible, with streams of dust and gas extending away from the surface. Image: ESA/Rosetta/Philae/CIVA.