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Lutetia asteroid in Rosetta’s spotlight

26 January 2007

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This animated sequence is composed of images gathered by the OSIRIS camera on board the Rosetta orbiter on 2 January 2007. It shows asteroid 21-Lutetia, as seen by the spacecraft from a distance of about 245 million kilometres, during a remote-sensing observation campaign of this object that lasted 36 hours.

The asteroid can be seen as the near-stationary spot visible at the centre of the image. The scattered spots seen in the movie are cosmic rays events, that is high-energy cosmic radiation hitting the detectors of OSIRIS (Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System).

Together with 2867-Steins, 21-Lutetia is one of the two target asteroids that Rosetta will study during its long trek to comet 67P-Churyumov-Gersimenko. The two asteroids will be visited at close range in September 2008 and July 2010, respectively.

A non-annotated version of this animation can be accessed by clicking here.

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

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Rosetta’s view of Mars and the Milky Way

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This view of Mars (visible towards the top of the image) and of the Milky Way was taken by the OSRIS camera on board the Rosetta orbiter on 3 December 2006, during the last series of instrument check-outs. In this image Mars is heavily overexposed and therefore surrounded by a halo of scattered light.

OSIRIS (Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System) will continue to image Mars during the next major mission phase: the swing-by of planet Mars at the end of February 2007. Rosetta will use its imaging system and imaging spectrometers to gather data about the surface and atmosphere of the Red Planet, including its chemical composition. It will also collect data about the interaction of the atmosphere with the solar wind and about the Martian radiation environment. It will also image the two natural satellites of Mars, Phobos and Deimos.

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

ESA's comet chaser

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