Animation of high-resolution infrared images of Earth

After closest approach to Earth, Rosetta’s VIRTIS took a series of high-resolution images of our planet in visible and infrared light from a distance of 250 000 kilometres and with a resolution of 62 kilometres per pixel. The images are shown as they were acquired, without rotating them. The North Pole is on the left of the image. This animation was produced using infrared images taken in the so-called ‘thermal’ infrared wavelengths, which catches the heat emitted from Earth’s surface. This is independent on solar illumination so, even if only half of Earth was illuminated by the Sun, VIRTIS could still se the full Earth disk. The animation shows the complex dynamics of Earth’s atmosphere.