At around 09:30 UTC this morning , the Rosetta space vehicle completed its decade - farseeing trek throughout the solar scheme as it finallyreached its intended targetof Comet 67P Churyumov - Gerasimenko . The spacecraft will revolve the comet as it makes its way into the intimate solar scheme , studying how the lens nucleus is bear upon by the heat of the Sun .
The comet is currently about 450 million kilometers ( 251 million miles ) from Earth and is presently headed toward the inner solar system as part of its 6.45 - year - long cranial orbit . The arena unfold past Jupiter and come roughly halfway between the orbit of Mars and Earth . Rosetta iscurrently studying the comet , trying to find the adept place for the lander when it launch in November .
If you need to keep cut of Rosetta throughout its journey and see how it has been navigating the solar system for the last decade , ESA has an interactive websitethat will show the past , present , and next posture of the spacecraft .
suss out out some of the images leading up toRosetta ’s rendezvous :
trope taken August 2 at a aloofness of 550 km . The tenacious exposure help instance the comet ’s activeness :
credit rating : ESA / Rosetta / MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS / UPD / LAM / IAA / SSO / INTA / UPM / DASP / IDA
persona pick out August 3 at a distance of 285 km :
Image drive August 3 at a length of 285 km . The comet ’s gyration gives a Modern perspective :
After the rendezvous was successful , ESA secrete these gorgeous unaired - up imagestoday ( August 6 ) .
The head of the comet can be seen at left , with the cervix and body on the rightfield . This image was accept a distance of only 120 km .
This is the base of the comet ’s body , taken at a length of 130 km :
ESA rain buckets the rendezvous live , but if you were n’t able to tune in or want to live over the historical event , the video has been made available here :
