Rosetta and Comet Outbound
Not a bright comet,
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko now sweeps slowly through
planet Earth's predawn skies near the line-up of
planets along the ecliptic.
Still, this composite of telescopic images follows the
comet's progress as it moves away from the Sun
beyond
the orbit of Mars,
from late September (left) through late November (far right).
Its faint but extensive
coma and tails
are viewed against
the colorful background of stars near the eastern edge of
the constellation Leo.
A year ago, before its perihelion passage,
the comet was less active, though.
Then the Rosetta
mission's lander Philae made its historic landing,
touching down
on the surface of the comet's nucleus.