The planet Mars is backlit by our own Milky Way galaxy in this view
recorded by a European probe headed for the red planet
The planet Mars is backlit by our own Milky Way galaxy in this view
recorded by a European probe headed for the red planet.
The
European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosetta
probe took this snapshot in December on its way for a Feb. 25 swing past
Mars, one of many planetary and space rock rendezvous the spacecraft is making
to reach its target: the Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
[image].
This image,
released this month, shows Mars (the hazy red object at top) hovering before a
backdrop of Milky Way stars.
Rosetta
used its Optical, Spectroscopic and Infrared Remote Imaging System – better known
as OSIRIS – to build this view. Mars itself is heavily overexposed, leading to
its halo and haze.
Once past
Mars, Rosetta will return
to Earth for a second pass
by its home planet in November. The Mars and Earth passes give Rosetta a gravity boost
of acceleration to propel it along towards its comet target.
-- SPACE.com Staff
Credit:
ESA/MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA
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