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Cities at night: Extraordinary Rosetta images

14 November 2007

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The Optical Spectroscopic and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) camera on board Rosetta observed Earth during its swing-by last night.

This image was taken with the OSIRIS Wide Angle Camera (WAC) at 19:45 CET, about 2 hours before the closest approach of the spacecraft to Earth. At the time, Rosetta was about 80000 km above the Indian Ocean where the local time approached midnight (the angle between Sun, Earth and Rosetta was about 160°).

Islands of artificial lights created by human habitation are sparsely distributed over the part of the globe seen in the picture.

The image was taken with a five-second exposure of the WAC with the red filter.

Credits: ESA ©2005 MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

Earth's limb high over Antarctica

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The Optical Spectroscopic and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) camera on board Rosetta observed Earth during its swing-by last night.

This image was taken with the Wide Angle Camera (WAC) at 20:05 CET, about 2 hours before the closest approach of the spacecraft to Earth. At the time Rosetta was about 75000 km from Earth. A sun-illuminated crescent can be seen around Antarctica. The image is a colour composite combining images obtained at various wavelengths.

Credits: ESA ©2005 MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/ UPM/DASP/IDA

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OSIRIS image of urban regions on Earth - annotated

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The Optical Spectroscopic and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) camera on board Rosetta observed Earth during its swing-by last night.

Islands of artificial lights created by human habitation are sparsely distributed over the part of the globe seen in the picture.

The image was taken with a five-second exposure of the WAC with the red filter.

Credits: ESA ©2005 MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA

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