ESA Science & Technology - Comet outburst

Rosetta's OSIRIS wide-angle camera captured an outburst from the Atum region on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's large lobe on 19 February 2016. The images are separated by half an hour each, covering the period 08:40–12:10 UTC, and as such show the comet rotating. Brightening in an initially shadowed region is first seen in the 09:40 image, with significant increase in brightness in subsequent images before subsiding again. The structure of more defined streams of dust and gas is also visible in later images.

For more information see: Rosetta captures comet outburst

Credit: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA