A new 3D stereo anaglyph provides a detailed view of the double-lobed nucleus of Comet 67P, captured by the Rosetta spacecraft.
Key facts
- •The 3D image requires red/blue glasses to view the comet's depth.
- •The source images were captured by the Rosetta spacecraft on July 25, 2015.
- •The comet's two lobes are 4 kilometers and 2.5 kilometers in diameter respectively.
- •The Rosetta mission ended with a controlled impact on the comet in September 2016.
- •NASA has archived nearly 1,400 stereo anaglyphs from the Rosetta mission.
NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 17, 2026, features a 3D anaglyph of Comet 67P, also known as Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The image was constructed from two photographs taken by the Rosetta spacecraft’s OSIRIS camera on July 25, 2015, from a distance of 184 kilometers.
By the numbers
Structure of Comet 67P
The comet features a jagged, double-lobed nucleus. The larger lobe measures approximately 4 kilometers in diameter, while the smaller lobe is 2.5 kilometers wide, with the two sections connected by a narrow neck. Observations from the Rosetta mission captured numerous jets emanating from the comet's active surface as it neared its closest approach to the Sun.
Rosetta Mission Legacy
The Rosetta mission concluded in September 2016 when the spacecraft was commanded to perform a controlled impact with the comet's surface. NASA maintains a catalog of nearly 1,400 stereo anaglyphs generated from the mission's extensive image data.
Timeline
- July 25, 2015The Rosetta spacecraft captured the images used to create the 3D anaglyph.
- September 2016The Rosetta mission ended with a controlled impact on the comet's surface.
- October 17, 2026NASA featured the 3D anaglyph as the Astronomy Picture of the Day.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by NASA Breaking News.
