ESA’s Rosetta Brought Us a GIF of a Moving Comet From Way out in Space

A few months ago, we got the first images from the European Space Agency’s Rosetta mission of the comet they’re tracking, but at the time, it was no more than an extra bright pixel. Well, now it’s several extra-bright pixels, so Rosetta made us a GIF!

It’s still tough to really see anything, but this is only the beginning. You can already easily make out the rotation of the comet’s nucleus as it tumbles through space, and you can make out its shape a little, although the portions that protrude may just be extra shiny parts that cause the light to bleed into surrounding pixels.

We’ll be able to see much better when Rosetta arrives at the comet on August 6th, and the ESA says it’ll be able to capture high definition images of the comet, up close and personal.

(Rosetta Blog via Universe Today, images via ESA)

Previously in Rosetta and comet’s excellent adventure

• Rosetta previously sent back the first, far away images of her comet
• Play along with Rosetta with an interactive, 3D version of her journey
• Everyone was pretty excited when Rosetta woke from her slumber

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Dan Van Winkle

Dan Van Winkle (he) is an editor and manager who has been working in digital media since 2013, first at now-defunct Geekosystem (RIP), and then at The Mary Sue starting in 2014, specializing in gaming, science, and technology. Outside of his professional experience, he has been active in video game modding and development as a hobby for many years. He lives in North Carolina with Lisa Brown (his wife) and Liz Lemon (their dog), both of whom are the best, and you will regret challenging him at Smash Bros.

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