Rosetta spacecraft gets better view of comet's fuzz
On July 29, Rosetta took this image of the core of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from a distance of 1,950 kilometers. The image confirms the comet's odd shape.
OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA/Rosetta/ESA
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has got some fuzz.
New images from the Rosetta spacecraft show that the coma, or hazy shroud, around the comet's core covers at least 22,500 square kilometers. The images probably only show the inner part of the coma, meaning it may extend much farther into space, mission scientists say. The latest images of the core of the comet also confirm that it is shaped like a rubber duckie.
Rosetta is less than a week away from its scheduled rendezvous with the comet. The spacecraft is slated to pull up and park next to the comet on August 6.
