The orbital insertion process began this morning as Rosetta started the first leg of a series of three-legged triangular paths about the comet. The legs will be about 100 km long and it will take Rosetta between three and four days to complete each one.
The result? WOW! Look at this! 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from just 130 km / 81 miles. This is my favorite so far, the diversity of terrain is incredible.
Here’s ESA’s description:
Stunning close up detail focusing on a smooth region on the ‘base’ of the ‘body’ section of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The image was taken by Rosetta’s OSIRIS narrow-angle camera and downloaded today, 6 August. The image clearly shows a range of features, including boulders, craters and steep cliffs.
The image was taken from a distance of 130 km and the image resolution is 2.4 metres per pixel.
If you thought a comet was a smooth snowball, well, not so much:by