Comet cliff in 3D
Date: 20 March 2017
Satellite: Rosetta
Depicts: Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Copyright: See below
Anaglyph image looking onto the Seth region of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. In the foreground to the right the 134 m-high Aswan cliff is seen, with a fracture in the cliff top, that subsequently fell away on 10 July 2015 (the image shown here was taken on 21 September 2014). The fracture seen here is 70 m long and 1 m wide, and separates an overhanging block 12 m across from the main plateau.
Anaglyph images like these were prepared to help evaluate the volume of overhang that detached. The images are best viewed using red–green/blue 3D glasses.
Close to the centre right of the image a 220 m-wide, 185 m-deep pit is also seen. The image also captures the terraced topography of the Seth region (background), and a small portion of the comet's smooth neck region in the foreground.
The image was taken by Rosetta's OSIRIS camera, approximately 26 km from the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The image scale is 0.5 m/pixel.
More information: Collapsing cliff reveals comet's interior
Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA; M. Pajola
