Rosetta spacecraft snaps dazzling pix of Earth

William Atkins
Friday, 13 November 2009 19:54

Science - Space

The European Space Agency’s Rosetta spacecraft is flying toward Earth on its third and final flyby. It took a dramatic picture of its home planet Earth on November 12, 2009, for all Earthlings to see.


The German-made Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) camera, with a 140-millimeter wide-angle lens and a 700-millimeter narrow-angle lens, is onboard the Rosetta spacecraft.

While traveling toward Earth at about 633,000 kilometers (393,000 miles) away from us it took a picture of planet Earth.

The picture was snapped at 1:28 p.m. Central European Time (CET, which is GMT plus one hour) on Thursday, November 12, 2009.

The ESA News article First view of Earth as Rosetta approaches home states, “Three images with an orange, green, and blue filter were combined to create this one. The illuminated crescent is centered roughly around the South Pole (South at the bottom of the image).”

And, “The outline of Antarctica is visible under the clouds that form the striking south-polar vortex. Pack ice in front of the coastline with its strong spectacular reflection is the cause for the very bright spots on the image."

Go to the above ESA website to see this dramatic image of Earth as seen by Rosetta on its mission to the comet

The camera will be used to take photographs when the spacecraft approaches the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

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