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Wish upon a shooting star - the Geminids meteor shower peaks tonight

13 December 2001

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In this photograph a Leonid meteor streaks through the sky across a star field containing the planet Jupiter, and the constellations Orion and Gemini.

Image courtesy of Ferris Hall

Credits: Image courtesy of Ferris Hall

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An artist's impression of the Rosetta orbiter and lander approac

An artist’s impression of Rosetta and its Philae lander approaching the target comet. Rosetta’s 11-year expedition began in March 2004, with an Ariane 5 launch from Kourou in French Guiana, and the spacecraft was then sent towards the outer Solar System. The long journey includes three gravity assists at Earth (2004, 2007, 2009), one at Mars (2007), and two asteroid encounters: (2867) Steins (2008) and (21) Lutetia (2010).

Rosetta will reach Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014, and will be the first mission ever to orbit a comet’s nucleus and to deliver a lander, called Philae, on its surface.

Credits: ESA