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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Distant comet between flybys

Distant comet between flybys
Distant comet between flybys Following its February 14 close flyby, Rosetta receded to 255 kilometers away from comet Churymov-Gerasimenko. It took this photo as it was returning closer to the comet again, on February 18, from a distance of 198 kilometers. The comet wears a crown of erupting gas and dust. The noisy background is a combination of detector noise, background stars, and grains of material ejected from the comet, which are sometimes captured as streaks. ESA / Rosetta / NavCam