Rotating view of comet on 14 July 2014

Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was imaged on 14 July 2014 by OSIRIS, Rosetta’s scientific imaging system, from a distance of approximately 12 000 km. This movie uses a sequence of 36 interpolated images each separated by 20 minutes, providing a 360° preview of the complex shape of the comet. The images have been processed using ‘sub-sampling by interpolation’, a technique that removes the pixelisation and makes a smoother image. It does not, however, reveal hidden detail and it is therefore important to note that the comet’s surface is not very likely to be as smooth as the processing implies. The images suggest that the comet may consist of two parts: one segment seems to be rather elongated, while the other appears more bulbous.

Read more via the blog: The dual personality of comet 67P/C-G

Credits: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA