The Rosetta probe has woken up ...

[Olowkow]

Fixed YouTube link.

Rosetta and the lander Philae are indeed tiny compared to the comet (roughly 5 by 3 km).

Animation loop of the NAVCAM images taken during the approach shows the rotating comet and its shape: http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2014/08/NavCam_animation_6_August

Animation from the DLR (German space agency) shows possible Philae landing sites (green dots):

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Do they expect to have actual video or live pictures from the probe, or is it going to be footage of a "live" computer-simulated display like how most rocket launches are presented these days?

Well the live feed was a waste. Live feed started last night 01:00 AM here so I log on to the feed hours ahead and keep it on so I won't run into trouble with a bandwidth fail. 01:00 AM comes and they start with conference speakers congratulating everyone, and speakers and speakers and more speakers and finally, I gave up. I'll wait for the reruns.

Maybe the Nov probe landing will have some actual live feed.

Fresh OSIRIS close ups of the comet surface: http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Rosetta/Highlights/Postcards_from_Rosetta
(mouse over for image info)

Look graffiti in the first image!

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

So is the outgassing only visible when they blur out the surface details with the different exposure? Or is it intermittent and the outgassing from 4 days ago is no longer occurring?

I want to see the escaping gasses.

 

[Sockor]

It is not graffiti. It is a sign/warning. See the pointy ears and raised tail of the cat?
View attachment 31406

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

It is not graffiti. It is a sign/warning. See the pointy ears and raised tail of the cat?
View attachment 31406

Your attachment link is dead.

 

[Beelzebuddy]

So is the outgassing only visible when they blur out the surface details with the different exposure? Or is it intermittent and the outgassing from 4 days ago is no longer occurring?

I want to see the escaping gasses.

Cherry-Gerry's still beyond the orbit of Jupiter, according to the always excellent What's Up in the Solar System. So you shouldn't expect much outgassing. Since we know it's a dust-covered iceball, I'd expect to see intermittent outgassing as the comet warms and previously-insulated pockets of ice start to violently sublimate. I imagine at least one entire field of scientists are feverishly modeling the comet as we speak, to predict when the real fireworks are going to begin.

 

[tusenfem]

Cherry-Gerry's still beyond the orbit of Jupiter, according to the always excellent What's Up in the Solar System. So you shouldn't expect much outgassing. Since we know it's a dust-covered iceball, I'd expect to see intermittent outgassing as the comet warms and previously-insulated pockets of ice start to violently sublimate. I imagine at least one entire field of scientists are feverishly modeling the comet as we speak, to predict when the real fireworks are going to begin.

Ohh that would be a bummer if 67P was still beyond the orbit of Jupiter, because then we would not have been able to turn on all the instruments of Rosetta.

At the moment our favourite comet is at about 3.5 AU away from the Sun.

Modeling the comet is underway, see e.g. the work by Christoph Koenders and co-workers on the location of the bowshock for 67P

 

[tusenfem]

So is the outgassing only visible when they blur out the surface details with the different exposure? Or is it intermittent and the outgassing from 4 days ago is no longer occurring?

I want to see the escaping gasses.

The picture downloaded yesterday (taken the day before yesterday) showed outgassing from the "neck region" of our rubber ducky, after blowing up the contrast. It was in the afternoon session at ESOC. Unfortunately, I cannot find that picture, maybe it is not (yet) released

 

[tusenfem]

Maybe the Nov probe landing will have some actual live feed.

No, there will be no live feed, as there is no "handycam" on Rosetta.
Pictures will be made by Osiris during the descent, I am sure, but I don't have the pointing details of the spacecraft. I am not sure if release of Philae and Osiris nadir pointing are compatible, but I am sure they will rotate the spacecraft quickly when not.

 

[Sockor]

Your attachment link is dead.

Well, it was just that photo you posted, but rotated right. Space pareidolia.

 

[Pendleton]

I think we should call it Olaf.

Yeah! Why?

Olaf....berserker!

 

[Pendleton]

Your attachment link is dead.

Only after you clicked on it, before that it was both live and dead.

 

[Skwinty]

https://flic.kr/p/oBG2ZF

Try this one.

 

[lpetrich]

The Rosetta orbiter / Rosetta / Space Science / Our Activities / ESA

Rosetta is a large aluminium box with dimensions 2.8 x 2.1 x 2.0 metres. The scientific instruments are mounted on the 'top' of the box (Payload Support Module) while the subsystems are on the 'base' (Bus Support Module).

On one side of the orbiter is a 2.2-metre diameter communications dish – the steerable high-gain antenna. The lander is attached to the opposite face.

Two enormous solar panel 'wings' extend from the other sides. These wings, each 32 square metres in area, have a total span of about 32 metres tip to tip. Each of them comprises five panels, and both may be rotated through +/-180 degrees to catch the maximum amount of sunlight.

NASA - NSSDC - Spacecraft - Details about Philae

The Philae spacecraft is a partial hexagonal cylinder, approximately 1 meter across and 80 cm high

The orbiter's body is about the size of a small two-seater car, while the outstretched length of the solar panels is about 1 1/2 the length of a typical 18-wheeler truck.

 

[Beelzebuddy]

The orbiter's body is about the size of a small two-seater car, while the outstretched length of the solar panels is about 1 1/2 the length of a typical 18-wheeler truck.

That tells me nothing! What is that in hogsheads and smoots?

 

[lpetrich]

That tells me nothing! What is that in hogsheads and smoots?

A hogshead is a unit of volume. A smoot is a unit of length, however, and would be more appropriate. Feel free to do the calculation.

Here are some more units of length: hand, cubit, ell, fathom, nail, link, ...

 

[grmcdorman]

A hogshead is a unit of volume. [snip]...

Yes, so? What has that got to do with it?

(In a famous incident referenced in the Conspiracy Theories section, a CTer multiplied distance by time to get speed - or something like that. Some of the "alternative" physics posters here have similar problems with units/dimensions).

 

[Monketi Ghost]

Only after you clicked on it, before that it was both live and dead.

So, a superposition of both states? Hogwash, I say!

 

[rwguinn]

Yes, so? What has that got to do with it?

(In a famous incident referenced in the Conspiracy Theories section, a CTer multiplied distance by time to get speed - or something like that. Some of the "alternative" physics posters here have similar problems with units/dimensions).

Added speed and distance to get distance...

 

[Olowkow]

To give an idea of the size of the comet, here is what Churyumov–Gerasimenko would look like on the ground behind Los Angeles.