Baked by the sun, Rosetta snaps dramatic Comet 67P outburst - CNN

Baked by the sun, Rosetta snaps dramatic comet outburst

By Dave Gilbert, CNN

Updated 0611 GMT (1411 HKT) August 13, 2015

The Rosetta probe sent an unexpected final image back to Earth shortly before it made a controlled impact onto the surface of Comet 67P last September.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
The Rosetta probe sent an unexpected final image back to Earth shortly before it made a controlled impact onto the surface of Comet 67P last September.
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The Rosetta spacecraft's high-resolution camera took this image of the Philae lander on September 2, 2016. The lander is wedged into a dark crack on a comet, named 67P/Churyumov--Gerasimenko, hurtling through space. The discovery comes less than a month before the Rosetta mission's end.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Philae has been found! – The Rosetta spacecraft's high-resolution camera took this image of the Philae lander on September 2, 2016. The lander is wedged into a dark crack on a comet, named 67P/Churyumov--Gerasimenko, hurtling through space. The discovery comes less than a month before the Rosetta mission's end.
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"We are so happy to have finally imaged Philae, and to see it in such amazing detail," says Cecilia Tubiana of the OSIRIS camera team. She was the first person to see the images when they were downlinked from the Rosetta probe, according to the European Space Agency.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Philae is wedged in a dark corner of Rosetta – "We are so happy to have finally imaged Philae, and to see it in such amazing detail," says Cecilia Tubiana of the OSIRIS camera team. She was the first person to see the images when they were downlinked from the Rosetta probe, according to the European Space Agency.
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The image is detailed enough that viewers can pick out features of Philae's 3-foot-wide (1 meter) body. Even two of its three legs can be seen.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Philae found using images from Rosetta – The image is detailed enough that viewers can pick out features of Philae's 3-foot-wide (1 meter) body. Even two of its three legs can be seen.
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One of the primary objectives of the Rosetta mission was to drop the Philae lander onto the comet. The probe was successfully deployed in November 2014, becoming the first probe to land on a comet. But Philae failed to grab onto the comet and bounced around. It fell silent a few days later. Then on June 13, 2015, <a href="http://blogs.esa.int/rosetta/2015/07/10/new-communication-with-philae-commands-executed-successfully/" target="_blank">Philae came out of hibernation</a> and "spoke" to mission managers at the European Space Agency for 85 seconds. This photo above was taken by the lander's mothership, the Rosetta orbiter, after the lander started its descent to the comet.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
One of the primary objectives of the Rosetta mission was to drop the Philae lander onto the comet. The probe was successfully deployed in November 2014, becoming the first probe to land on a comet. But Philae failed to grab onto the comet and bounced around. It fell silent a few days later. Then on June 13, 2015, Philae came out of hibernation and "spoke" to mission managers at the European Space Agency for 85 seconds. This photo above was taken by the lander's mothership, the Rosetta orbiter, after the lander started its descent to the comet.
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The Rosetta spacecraft captured this <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/Comet_s_firework_display_ahead_of_perihelion" target="_blank">image of a jet of white debris</a> spraying from Comet 67P/Churyumov--Gerasimenko on July 29, 2015. Mission scientists said this was the brightest jet seen to date in the mission. The debris is <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Comets&Display=OverviewLong" target="_blank">mostly of ice</a> coated with dark organic material.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
The Rosetta spacecraft captured this image of a jet of white debris spraying from Comet 67P/Churyumov--Gerasimenko on July 29, 2015. Mission scientists said this was the brightest jet seen to date in the mission. The debris is mostly of ice coated with dark organic material.
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This image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by Rosetta on July 8, 2015 as the spacecraft and comet headed toward their closest approach to the sun. Rosetta was about 125 miles (201 kilometers) from the comet when it took this image.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
This image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by Rosetta on July 8, 2015 as the spacecraft and comet headed toward their closest approach to the sun. Rosetta was about 125 miles (201 kilometers) from the comet when it took this image.
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Philae wakes up! Mission managers posted this cartoon of the lander yawning after it came out of hibernation on June 13, 2015. They also sent a series of tweets between the lander and its mothership, Rosetta.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Philae wakes up! Mission managers posted this cartoon of the lander yawning after it came out of hibernation on June 13, 2015. They also sent a series of tweets between the lander and its mothership, Rosetta.
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Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is a Jupiter-family comet. Its 6.5 year journey around the Sun takes it from just beyond the orbit of Jupiter at its most distant, to between the orbits of Earth and Mars at its closest. The comet hails from the Kuiper Belt, but gravitational perturbations knocked it towards the Sun where interactions with Jupiter's gravity set it on its present-day orbit.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is a Jupiter-family comet. Its 6.5 year journey around the Sun takes it from just beyond the orbit of Jupiter at its most distant, to between the orbits of Earth and Mars at its closest. The comet hails from the Kuiper Belt, but gravitational perturbations knocked it towards the Sun where interactions with Jupiter's gravity set it on its present-day orbit.
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This image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by Rosetta on June 5, 2015, while the spacecraft was about 129 miles (208 kilometers) from the comet's center.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
This image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by Rosetta on June 5, 2015, while the spacecraft was about 129 miles (208 kilometers) from the comet's center.
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Rosetta's navigation camera took this image of the comet on June 1, 2015.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Rosetta's navigation camera took this image of the comet on June 1, 2015.
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The Rosetta Mission is tracking Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on its orbit around the sun. This image was taken on May 3, 2015 at a distance of about 84 miles (135 km) from the comet's center.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
The Rosetta Mission is tracking Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on its orbit around the sun. This image was taken on May 3, 2015 at a distance of about 84 miles (135 km) from the comet's center.
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This image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken on April 15, 2015.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
This image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken on April 15, 2015.
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Rosetta snapped this wide-angle view of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in September 2014. Rosetta was about 107 million miles (172 million kilometers) from Earth and about 92 million miles (148 million kilometers) from the sun when the photo was released.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Rosetta snapped this wide-angle view of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in September 2014. Rosetta was about 107 million miles (172 million kilometers) from Earth and about 92 million miles (148 million kilometers) from the sun when the photo was released.
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A camera on Rosetta took this picture of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 22, 2014, from a distance of about 19 miles (31 kilometers). The nucleus is deliberately overexposed to reveal jets of material spewing from the comet. The 2.5-mile-wide (4-kilometer) comet has shown a big increase in the amount of water its releasing, according to NASA. The space agency says about 40 ounces (1.2 liters) of water was being sprayed into space every second at the end of August 2014.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
A camera on Rosetta took this picture of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on November 22, 2014, from a distance of about 19 miles (31 kilometers). The nucleus is deliberately overexposed to reveal jets of material spewing from the comet. The 2.5-mile-wide (4-kilometer) comet has shown a big increase in the amount of water its releasing, according to NASA. The space agency says about 40 ounces (1.2 liters) of water was being sprayed into space every second at the end of August 2014.
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Rosetta took this picture of a section of the comet's two lobes from a distance of about 5 miles (8 kilometers) on October 14, 2014.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Rosetta took this picture of a section of the comet's two lobes from a distance of about 5 miles (8 kilometers) on October 14, 2014.
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The Rosetta spacecraft's Philae lander is shown sitting on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko after becoming the first space probe to land on a comet on November 12, 2014. The probe's harpoons failed to fire, and Philae bounced a few times. The lander was able to send back images and data for 57 hours before losing power.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
The Rosetta spacecraft's Philae lander is shown sitting on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko after becoming the first space probe to land on a comet on November 12, 2014. The probe's harpoons failed to fire, and Philae bounced a few times. The lander was able to send back images and data for 57 hours before losing power.
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Rosetta's lander, Philae, wasn't able to get a good grip on the comet after it touched down. This mosaic shows Philae's movements as it bounced across the comet.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Rosetta's lander, Philae, wasn't able to get a good grip on the comet after it touched down. This mosaic shows Philae's movements as it bounced across the comet.
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Philae snapped these images after landing, and mission scientists used them to create a panoramic view of the landing site. A graphic shows where the probe would be sitting in the photograph.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Philae snapped these images after landing, and mission scientists used them to create a panoramic view of the landing site. A graphic shows where the probe would be sitting in the photograph.
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The image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by a camera on the Philae lander during its descent to the comet on November 12, 2014. The lander was about 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) from the surface at the time. Philae touched down on the comet about seven hours later.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
The image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was taken by a camera on the Philae lander during its descent to the comet on November 12, 2014. The lander was about 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) from the surface at the time. Philae touched down on the comet about seven hours later.
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Rosetta's OSIRIS camera captured this parting shot of the Philae lander after separation.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Rosetta's OSIRIS camera captured this parting shot of the Philae lander after separation.
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Rosetta's lander Philae took this parting shot of its mother ship shortly after separation on November 12, 2014, as Philae headed for a landing on Comet 67P. While Philae<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/12/world/comet-landing-countdown/index.html" target="_blank"> is the first probe to land on a comet</a>, Rosetta is the first to rendezvous with a comet and follow it around the sun.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Rosetta's lander Philae took this parting shot of its mother ship shortly after separation on November 12, 2014, as Philae headed for a landing on Comet 67P. While Philae is the first probe to land on a comet, Rosetta is the first to rendezvous with a comet and follow it around the sun.
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This mosaic is made of four individual images taken about 20 miles (31.8 kilometers ) from the center of the comet on November 4, 2014.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
This mosaic is made of four individual images taken about 20 miles (31.8 kilometers ) from the center of the comet on November 4, 2014.
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Rosetta took this image of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on September 15, 2014. The box on the right shows where the lander was expected to touch down.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Rosetta took this image of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko on September 15, 2014. The box on the right shows where the lander was expected to touch down.
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The spacecraft sent this image as it approached the comet on August 6, 2014. From a distance of nearly 81 miles (130 kilometers), it reveals detail of the smooth region on the comet's "body" section.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
The spacecraft sent this image as it approached the comet on August 6, 2014. From a distance of nearly 81 miles (130 kilometers), it reveals detail of the smooth region on the comet's "body" section.
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This image, captured August 7, 2014, shows the diversity of surface structures on the comet's nucleus.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
This image, captured August 7, 2014, shows the diversity of surface structures on the comet's nucleus.
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The comet's "head" can be seen in the left of the frame as it casts a shadow over the "body" in this image released August 6, 2014.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
The comet's "head" can be seen in the left of the frame as it casts a shadow over the "body" in this image released August 6, 2014.
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This image of the comet was taken on August 1, 2014, as Rosetta closed in its target.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
This image of the comet was taken on August 1, 2014, as Rosetta closed in its target.
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Rosetta's mission started on March 2, 2004, when it was launched on a European Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Rosetta's mission started on March 2, 2004, when it was launched on a European Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana.
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Rosetta is named after the Rosetta Stone, the black basalt that provided the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. Scientists think the mission will give them new clues about the origins of the solar system and life on Earth. The mission is spearheaded by the European Space Agency with key support from NASA.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Rosetta is named after the Rosetta Stone, the black basalt that provided the key to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs. Scientists think the mission will give them new clues about the origins of the solar system and life on Earth. The mission is spearheaded by the European Space Agency with key support from NASA.
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This photo shows Rosetta being tested before it was wrapped in insulating blankets and loaded on a rocket for launch.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
This photo shows Rosetta being tested before it was wrapped in insulating blankets and loaded on a rocket for launch.
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Rosetta has massive solar wings to power the spacecraft. They were unfurled and checked out at the European Space Agency's test facilities before being packed up for liftoff.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Rosetta has massive solar wings to power the spacecraft. They were unfurled and checked out at the European Space Agency's test facilities before being packed up for liftoff.
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After its closest approach to Earth in November 2007, Rosetta captured this image of the planet.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
After its closest approach to Earth in November 2007, Rosetta captured this image of the planet.
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Rosetta snapped this image of Earth in November 2009. The spacecraft was 393,328 miles from Earth.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Rosetta snapped this image of Earth in November 2009. The spacecraft was 393,328 miles from Earth.
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Rosetta passed asteroid Steins in September 2008, giving scientists amazing close-ups of the asteroid's huge crater. The asteroid is about 3 miles in diameter.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Rosetta passed asteroid Steins in September 2008, giving scientists amazing close-ups of the asteroid's huge crater. The asteroid is about 3 miles in diameter.
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Rosetta took this image of Mars as it looped through the solar system.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Rosetta took this image of Mars as it looped through the solar system.
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This image was taken by an instrument on Rosetta's Philae lander just minutes before the spacecraft made its closest approach to Mars. Part of Rosetta and its solar arrays are visible.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
This image was taken by an instrument on Rosetta's Philae lander just minutes before the spacecraft made its closest approach to Mars. Part of Rosetta and its solar arrays are visible.
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On July 10, 2010, Rosetta flew about 1,864 miles from asteroid Lutetia, which is 10 times larger than asteroid Steins.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
On July 10, 2010, Rosetta flew about 1,864 miles from asteroid Lutetia, which is 10 times larger than asteroid Steins.
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Look closely at the top of this picture. See that dot? That's Saturn. Rosetta snapped the picture of asteroid Lutetia and captured Saturn in the background.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
Look closely at the top of this picture. See that dot? That's Saturn. Rosetta snapped the picture of asteroid Lutetia and captured Saturn in the background.
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After taking pictures of Earth, Mars and asteroids, Rosetta was put into hibernation in May 2011 after it reached the outer part of the solar system. Mission managers woke it January 20, 2014.
Photos: Rosetta: The comet chaser
After taking pictures of Earth, Mars and asteroids, Rosetta was put into hibernation in May 2011 after it reached the outer part of the solar system. Mission managers woke it January 20, 2014.
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Rosetta spacecraft last image02 Philae lander found01 Philae lander found03 Philae lander found01 roseetta philaecomet 67P outburstrosetta july02 rosetta philaeRosetta comet 67P orbit around the sun03 rosetta 060504 rosetta 0601Rosetta comet 67 p 3/5/15Rosetta comet 67P 15/4/15Rosetta Jan 22 2015Rosetta comet activity Jan 15 2015Rosetta comet hillComet from PhilaePhilae drifting across cometPhilae lander panaromic02 comet 1112philae 1112rosetta 1112comet 1112Rosetta Philae landing siterosetta comet close up ESA postcardrosetta 0818rosetta comet close up ESA postcard 02Rosetta comet 0804Rosetta liftoffRosetta mission posterRosetta spacecraftRosetta wings unfurledRosetta Earth true colorsRosetta crescent EarthRosetta Asteroid SteinsRosetta Mars wideshot 2Rosetta over MarsRosetta farewell LutetiaRosetta Lutetia SaturnRosetta hibernation

Story highlights

  • Comet 67P and its orbiting Rosetta probe reach perihelion -- the closest approach to the sun
  • Scientists are watching for spectacular moments as the sun's heat causes gas and dust to be ejected
  • The mission has already notched up some notable firsts and discovered 16 organic compounds on the comet

London (CNN)Comet 67P is getting hot and bothered. Dramatic pictures from outbursts on the increasingly active comet are being returned by the chasing probe Rosetta as it hurtles round the sun.

Thursday marks perihelion -- the point where the comes closest to our star during it's 6.5-year orbit around the solar system.
    Rosetta scientists report on the mission website that this a landmark moment because the intensity of sunlight increases and parts of the comet that may have been in darkness for years are exposed to the sunlight.
      The Rosetta blog explains that the energy warms the comet's ices, turning them into gas which pours into space and drags dust with it.
      This material forms a comet's distinctive tail that can stretch for hundreds of thousands of miles into space.
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      The European Space Agency (ESA), which is leading a consortium that includes NASA to find out more about a comet's composition and how it interacts with the sun, says comet activity is expected to peak in the weeks after perihelion but sudden outbursts can happen at any time -- as the probe's picture from the end of July shows.
        Commenting on the mission website Carsten Guttler, from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Gottingen, Germany, said: "Usually, the jets are quite faint compared to the nucleus and we need to stretch the contrast of the images to make them visible - but this one is brighter than the nucleus."
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        It took 10 years to maneuver Rosetta around the solar system so it could match its speed and trajectory on its orbit.
        Scientists are watching for more spectacular moments in the days ahead.
        The probe's Twitter feed @ESA_Rosetta announced Wednesday: "Perihelion may just be a moment, but the #Perihelionparty -- #67P's high activity -- will last for weeks."
        The mission has already notched up a series of notable records. It is the first time a probe has been put in orbit around the comet and to track it on its orbit and the first to make a landing.
        The lander Philae discovered the comet contained 16 organic compounds -- lending weight to a theory that the building blocks of life could have been brought to Earth by comets.
        Excitement is clearly building among the team as they watch the comet's reaction during the hottest part of the trip when it will be 186 million kilometers (about 115 million miles from the sun). The distance between the Earth and the sun varies but we are currently about is 152 million kilometers (or about 94.5 million miles) away from our star.
        Mission controllers have organized a Google hangout for 13:00GMT/09:00EST on Thursday when the comet is at perihelion.
        Contact with Philae was lost in July after briefly re-establishing a link with the orbiter but at the end of the month lander system engineer Laurence O'Rourke told CNN that they hadn't given up on receiving a signal.
          "There's no way we can say the lander is dead," he said.
          After perihelion the comet will begin its outward journey away from the sun to the outer reaches of the solar system. Rosetta will stay in orbit for a while though ESA says the mission has been extended to September next year when it says controllers will most likely attempt to park the orbiter on the comet's surface.