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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Lutetia in color

Lutetia in color
Lutetia in color This high-resolution, full-globe, color view of the largest asteroid yet visited by a spacecraft is composed from three images taken by Rosetta as it flew past Lutetia on July 10, 2010. ESA 2010 MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS / UPD / LAM / IAA / RSSD / INTA / UPM / DASP / IDA / color composite by Ted Stryk

 Most of the mosaic is from a shot captured just two minutes before closest approach, with a small gap near the terminator (right side) filled in using an image captured at 4 minutes 40 seconds before closest approach. The color is from a much more distant shot. Like most solar system surfaces that have been exposed to space weathering for a long time, Lutetia is reddish in color.