Rosetta sends back stunning image of itself with comet it will land on it the background
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It is one of the most amazing selfies ever taken.
The Rosetta spacecraft sent back this breathtaking image of itself as it orbited just 16km from comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko 297 million miles (478 million km) from Earth.
The image was taken on 7 October and captures the side of the Rosetta spacecraft and one of Rosetta's 14 m-long solar wings, with the comet in the background.
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Using the CIVA camera on Rosetta?s Philae lander, the spacecraft has snapped a 'selfie' at comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko from a distance of about 16 km from the surface of the comet.
Two images with different exposure times were combined to bring out the faint details in this very high contrast situation, ESA said.
The comet's active 'neck' region is clearly visible, with streams of dust and gas extending away from the surface.
Rosetta has spent 10 years chasing down comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko and is now in orbit around the 'ice mountain', edging in closer to its surface each day.
For a sense of scale, the comet is about three times the size of Ben Nevis and Rosetta is the size of a car with 105ft (32 metre) wings.
This latest image was taken by the CIVA imaging system on board Rosetta's lander Philae, on 7 October.
Not only does the comet appear much larger than in last month's image, the active 'neck' region of 67P/C-G is now clearly visible, with streams of dust and gas extending away from the comet.
The primary landing site, currently known as Site J, can also be seen on the smaller lobe of the comet.
Two images, one with a short exposure time, one with a longer one, were combined to capture the whole dynamic range of the scene, from the bright parts of the solar arrays to the dark comet and the dark insulation cladding the Rosetta spacecraft.
CIVA, the Comet Infrared and Visible Analyser, is one of ten instruments on-board Philae.
The CIVA-P part of the instrument comprises seven micro-cameras arranged around the top of the lander to take panorama images, while CIVA-M is a visible/infrared microscope imager/spectrometer that will the study the composition, texture, and albedo of surface samples.
The 7 October selfie is the last image from Philae before the lander separates from Rosetta on 12 November, ESA said.
The next image will be taken by CIVA shortly after separation, when the lander will look back at the orbiter to bid it a final farewell.
Rosetta took another incredible selfie of its 131ft (40 metre) solar wings gleaming against the darkness of space last week, when it was 50km away. In the background is the duck-shaped comet, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, with its distinct 'head' and 'body' clearly visible
The camera will be tasked with making a 360 degree panoramic image of the landing site, including a section in stereo, once safely on the surface of 67P/C-G.
The images and other data collected by Philae will provide important in situ information about this particular region on the comet, providing 'ground truth' data that can be used to complement the data collected for the whole comet from the Rosetta orbiter now and into 2015, as the comet becomes more active.
Last month a 2.4 mile-wide (4km) region on the 'head' of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko was revealed as the spot for the daring landing of Rosetta's Philae probe.
The high-risk manoeuvre on November 11, if successful, will be the first time in history that a probe has been landed on a comet.
Scientists at mission control in Germany hope the spider-like probe will send back data that could answer questions on the origin of Earth's water and perhaps even life.
But they've warned that the landing should be seen as an 'exciting extra' on the Rosetta mission as the mission carries a 'high risk'.
The Rosetta probe will launch its Philae robot from a distance of about 6.2 miles (10km) to Comet 67P.
The 220lb (100kg) lander will reach the surface on 11 November.
It will take around seven hours to descend.
During the descent, images will be taken and other observations of the comet's environment will be made.
Philae will make a gentle landing on the comet at walking pace, using screws and harpoons to lower and secure itself on the surface.
Once the lander touches down, it will make a 360° panoramic image of the landing site to help determine where and in what orientation it has landed.
The lander will also drill and collect samples from beneath the surface, delivering them to the onboard laboratory for analysis.
The interior structure of the comet will be explored by sending radio waves through the surface towards Rosetta.
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