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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 Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
Orbiting the comet -- frequently abbreviated as 67P or CG -- 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 near the camera
and above the comet's surface.
Some of the
bright specks in the scene, however, 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 featured video, these 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.
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 June 4 Á Comet Pons Brooks Develops Opposing Tails
- 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