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\nThese 210 images reflect Rosetta\u2019s ever-changing view of Comet 67P\/Churyumov\u2013Gerasimenko between July 2014 and September 2016.\n<\/p>\n
\nThe sequence begins in the month leading up to Rosetta\u2019s arrival<\/a> on 6 August, when the comet was barely a few pixels in the field of view. Suddenly, the curious shape was revealed and Rosetta raced to image its surface, coming within 10 km, to find a suitable place<\/a> for Philae to land just three months later.\n<\/p>\n \nPhilae\u2019s landing<\/a> is featured with the \u2018farewell\u2019 images taken by both spacecraft of each other shortly after separation, and by Philae as it drew closer to the surface at its first touchdown point. An image taken at the final landing site is also shown.\n<\/p>\n \nThe subsequent images, taken by Rosetta, reflect the varying distance from the comet as well as the comet\u2019s rise and fall in activity as they orbited the Sun.\n<\/p>\n \nBefore the comet reached its most active phase<\/a> in August 2015, Rosetta was able to make some close flybys, including one in which the lighting geometry from the Sun was such that the spacecraft\u2019s shadow<\/a> could be seen on the surface.\n<\/p>\n \nThen, owing to the increase of dust in the local environment, Rosetta had to maintain a safer distance and carry out scientific observations from afar, but this also gave some impressive views of the comet\u2019s global activity, including jets and outburst events.\n<\/p>\n \nOnce the activity began to subside, Rosetta could come closer again and conduct science nearer to the nucleus, including capturing more high-resolution images of the surface, and looking out for changes<\/a> after this active period.\n<\/p>\n \nEventually, as the comet returned to the colder outer Solar System, so the available solar power to operate Rosetta fell. The mission concluded<\/a> with Rosetta making its own dramatic descent to the surface on 30 September 2016, the final images taken reflected in the last images shown in this montage.\n<\/p>\n \nExplore thousands of Rosetta images in our Archive Image Browser<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \nMore about Rosetta and its science discoveries<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n \n \n<\/p>\n \nCredits: ESA\/Rosetta\/NavCam \u2013 CC BY-SA IGO 3.0; ESA\/Rosetta\/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS\/UPD\/LAM\/IAA\/SSO\/INTA\/UPM\/DASP\/IDA; ESA\/Rosetta\/Philae\/CIVA; ESA\/Rosetta\/Philae\/ROLIS\/DLR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \nThese 210 images reflect Rosetta’s ever-changing view of Comet 67P\/Churyumov–Gerasimenko between July 2014 and September 2016.\n<\/p>\n \nThe sequence begins in the month leading up to Rosetta’s arrival<\/a> on 6 August, when the comet was barely a few pixels in the field of view. Suddenly, the curious shape was revealed and Rosetta raced to image its surface, coming within 10 km, to find a suitable place<\/a> for Philae to land just three months later.\n<\/p>\n \nPhilae’s landing<\/a> is featured with the ‘farewell’ images taken by both spacecraft of each other shortly after separation, and by Philae as it drew closer to the surface at its first touchdown point. An image taken at the final landing site is also shown.\n<\/p>\n \nThe subsequent images, taken by Rosetta, reflect the varying distance from the comet as well as the comet’s rise and fall in activity as they orbited the Sun.\n<\/p>\n \nBefore the comet reached its most active phase<\/a> in August 2015, Rosetta was able to make some close flybys, including one in which the lighting geometry from the Sun was such that the spacecraft’s shadow<\/a> could be seen on the surface.\n<\/p>\n \nThen, owing to the increase of dust in the local environment, Rosetta had to maintain a safer distance and carry out scientific observations from afar, but this also gave some impressive views of the comet’s global activity, including jets and outburst events.\n<\/p>\n \nOnce the activity began to subside, Rosetta could come closer again and conduct science nearer to the nucleus, including capturing more high-resolution images of the surface, and looking out for changes<\/a> after this active period.\n<\/p>\n \nEventually, as the comet returned to the colder outer Solar System, so the available solar power to operate Rosetta fell. The mission concluded<\/a> with Rosetta making its own dramatic descent to the surface on 30 September 2016, the final images taken reflected in the last images shown in this montage.\n<\/p>\n \nExplore thousands of Rosetta images in our Archive Image Browser<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n