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Credit & Copyright: ESA,
Rosetta Mission
Explanation:
Panels on ESA's
Rosetta spacecraft appear in
the foreground of
this
intriguing image of Mars recorded on February 25
at a range of about 1,000 kilometers.
Launched in March 2004, Rosetta was near its
closest
approach to the Red Planet during a
gravity
assist flyby maneuver
and is ultimately destined to rendezvous with a comet
designated 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
Below the
comet-chasing
spacecraft lies a dark boundary along
the martian Syrtis region.
But wait ... who took the picture?
The picture was actually captured by the imaging system (CIVA) onboard
Rosetta's lander, Philae, switched on for testing.
The three-legged, box-shaped, 100 kilogram
Philae is scheduled
to attempt a landing on the comet nucleus after
Rosetta's
rendezvous in November 2014.
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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: spacecraft - Mars - comet - gravity assist
Publications with words: spacecraft - Mars - comet - gravity assist
See also:
- APOD: 2025 February 5 Á Comet G3 ATLAS Setting over a Chilean Hill
- APOD: 2025 February 2 Á Comet G3 ATLAS Disintegrates
- APOD: 2025 January 28 Á Comet G3 ATLAS over Uruguay
- APOD: 2025 January 26 Á The Many Tails of Comet G3 ATLAS
- Comet G3 ATLAS: a Tail and a Telescope
- APOD: 2025 January 21 Á Comet ATLAS over Brasilia
- APOD: 2025 January 20 Á Comet ATLAS Rounds the Sun