Astronomy Now – Page 239

Video: Mission control celebrates separation but anxiety builds over landing

12 November 2014 Astronomy Now

Paolo Ferri, ESA’s Head of Mission Operations, expresses relief at the apparently successful release of Philae from the Rosetta mothership but the potential loss of a crucial touchdown system has caused increased anxiety about the landing.

Rosetta mission live coverage

11 November 2014 Astronomy Now

Live coverage from the European Space Operations Centre as the Philae lander races to complete its science mission before its battery power runs out.

Top ten Rosetta images from 10km

11 November 2014 Astronomy Now

On the eve of Philae’s landing, the European Space Agency has released its top ten images of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko taken by Rosetta’s navigation camera from its lowest orbit just 10 kilometres from the centre of the nucleus.

Rosetta flight director says Philae ready for release

11 November 2014 Astronomy Now

ESA flight director Andrea Accomazzo, says the Philae lander is ready to separate from the Rosetta mothership and touchdown on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.

Rosetta’s camera captures new ‘atmospheric’ view of comet

8 November 2014 Astronomy Now

Images of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko from Rosetta’s navigation camera have taken on a darker, more “atmospheric” tone in recent days and the latest view is no exception.

Planet-forming disc around young star revealed in unprecedented detail

6 November 2014 Astronomy Now

A new image from ALMA, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, reveals extraordinarily fine detail that has never been seen before in the planet-forming disc around a young star.

Curiosity Mars rover sees Comet Siding Spring pass by

6 November 2014 Astronomy Now

An animation of comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring captured by NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover as the comet passed near the red planet.

Exozodiacal light presents challenge for direct imaging of exo-Earths

6 November 2014 Astronomy Now

An international team of astronomers has discovered exozodiacal light close to the habitable zones around nine nearby stars using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer.

The dark side of comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko

6 November 2014 Astronomy Now

This unusual view of 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko from Rosetta shows the darker side of the comet.

Curiosity Mars rover finds mineral match with orbiter

5 November 2014 Astronomy Now

Reddish rock powder from the first hole drilled into a Martian mountain by the Curiosity rover has yielded the mission’s first confirmation of a mineral mapped from orbit.