Astonishing new image from Rosetta ... !

[Steve Ward]

Just had this sent through from ESA , just had to post it ... this has to be one of the most amazing missions ever undertaken ... 

http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2014/08/Comet_on_7_August_a

Click on image for full res ... 

[Brave Sir Robin]

Bonkers! Frustrating though the lack of images from this mission is, when they do, boy are they interesting! I really hope the lander is successful. Such a wealth of new info!

[triton1]

The detail in that is incredible and they can,t land on the dark side

[Brave Sir Robin]

So nuts to think that that chunk has hardly changed much since before our planet even existed. Maybe even before our sun started fusing hydrogen.....

[oldpink]

been following this, best image so far that I've seen

[Brave Sir Robin]

A cosmic logo brick...

[Brave Sir Robin]

Ahem, *Lego brick*

[algol]

Beautiful really, can't wait to see what they discover

[nameunknown]

The 3D image is sooooooo impressive if your wear those daft green and red specs, have recently taken your medication and are stuck with a back problem so you can't get the obsy roof open. This really looks like a "full-up mission" that has hit the pay-dirt after several trips round the block.

P

[bejay1957]

May be a dumb question but is this thought to be accurate colours?  Finally getting the feeling we are looking at something icy rather than just rocky.

[reddoss]

Wow, what an incredible image. Comets are often described as 'dirty snowballs', it does not look like that to me,

I just hope that the Rosetta lander, Philae, is able to attach itself to the surface OK, survives to journey around the sun and gets good data. This is so risky, fingers crossed. 

[baggywrinkle]

I thought I spotted a Clanger.....

Fantastic image.

[DaveGarland]

Wow that's nice. That white bit in the shadows looks like ice!? Surely not!

[DaveGarland]

Oh no, I've sussed it already. It's sun light through the "valley".

[SimonfromSussex]

Incredible image, cannot wait for them to land on this!!!

[Uranium235]

Got to admit.... thats quite good!

For a moment I thought I'd spotted Bruce Willis....lol

[kerrylewis]

These images are simply astonishing. When I was a lad I thought that comets were nebulous fuzzy things with no real substance. Now they turn out to be cratered peanuts!

[DaveGarland]

It just gets more amazing as you look at it. Those rocks that appear to have fallen from the cliffs into the valley, I wonder how slowly they fall in the tiny gravity the comet has. And will they have bounced around? It just lets your imagination run riot doesn't it.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Stunning image!

[Macavity]

Cliff, with smooth "ice" fields, debris at the base:

http://www.wenger.co.jp/images/eiger_large.jpg

Almost familiar? Who knows...

[D4N]

I imagine gravity is a bit confusing near the centre of a peanut shaped object, could be fun to try and jump from one side to the other though

[SnakeyJ]

Don't jump too hard, not sure of the escape velocity but you may have a long wait to get your feet back on comet-firma

There's quite an interesting presentation on the physics of landing Philae at http://www.simpack.com/fileadmin/simpack/doc/usermeeting04/um04_maxplanck_hilch.pdf

Though even if the lander fails to hold on, the science return on the mission looks very impressive so far.

[SnakeyJ]

Going back to the original image, there is an incredible amount of structure within the exposed outcrops.   In the centre there are a series of parallel faults or striations running down into  the goosneck, an almost horizontal series of planes from the east of view and to the west a sculptured edge that appears to have cleaved along vertical plane.    From this angle it looks as if two comets have bumped and fused together with some collapse along the impact faces.    A fascinating object and considerably more feature and variation than I had expected to see - though it has no doubt had a long and violent life.

[Kropster]

Amazing that it all holds together under such a weak gravity field. I would have thought that the impacts that made the craters would have blown it apart completely.