News of the Comet-hunting Rosetta mission

[Whitters]

http://www.esa.int/export/SPECIALS/Rosetta/SEM8RA3VQUD_0.html

[Whitters]

               http://www.theastronomer.org
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ROSETTA
Peter Meadows has kindly e-mailed to draw out attention to ESA's Rosetta spacecraft which is due to fly past the Earth tonight 2005 March 4 and may reach magnitude 8-9.

It will be the first to undertake the long-term exploration of a comet (Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko) at close quarters. It comprises a large orbiter, which is designed to operate for a decade at large distances from the Sun, and a small lander. Each of these carries a large complement of scientific experiments designed to complete the most detailed study of a comet ever attempted.

Peter quotes the following address for more background details; http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Rosetta/SEMMTBYEM4E_0.html

Ephemeris from JPL Horizons WWW page based on Greenwich:
Date__(UT)__HR:MN     R.A.__(a-apparent)__DEC   Cnst
 2005-Mar-04 19:00 A   10 27 26.43 +07 16 53.5   Leo
 2005-Mar-04 19:10 A   10 25 26.44 +07 30 04.0   Leo
 2005-Mar-04 19:20 A   10 23 12.01 +07 44 28.5   Leo
 2005-Mar-04 19:30 A   10 20 40.54 +08 00 18.6   Leo
 2005-Mar-04 19:40     10 17 48.80 +08 17 48.5   Leo
 2005-Mar-04 19:50     10 14 32.58 +08 37 15.7   Leo
 2005-Mar-04 20:00     10 10 46.38 +08 59 02.6   Leo
 2005-Mar-04 20:10     10 06 22.81 +09 23 37.3   Leo
 2005-Mar-04 20:20     10 01 11.71 +09 51 36.6   Leo
 2005-Mar-04 20:30     09 54 58.59 +10 23 48.7   Leo
 2005-Mar-04 20:40     09 47 22.14 +11 01 18.1   Leo
 2005-Mar-04 20:50     09 37 49.47 +11 45 32.0   Leo
 2005-Mar-04 21:00     09 25 26.90 +12 38 27.4   Leo
 2005-Mar-04 21:10     09 08 40.53 +13 42 33.5   Cnc
 2005-Mar-04 21:20     08 44 30.75 +15 00 11.3   Cnc
 2005-Mar-04 21:30     08 06 35.16 +16 28 51.5   Cnc
 2005-Mar-04 21:40  t  06 59 58.62 +17 32 44.9   Gem
 2005-Mar-04 21:50     04 55 17.60 +14 40 57.3   Ori
 2005-Mar-04 22:00  s  02 03 42.50 +01 40 20.1   Cet
A=Astronomical Twilight; t=transit; s=sets Positions depend on your location so use the following to generate your own ephemeris:
http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.html
David Briggs reports that he imaged Rosetta on 2005 Feb 27 using Hampshire Astronomical Group's 0.60-m f/4.75 Newtonian and a Starlight Xpress MX916. Using Astrometrica the estimated magnitude was then 18 with the spacecraft 0.012AU from the Earth.
A further report has also been received from Giovanni Sostero, Remzacco Observatory Italy, who imaged the space craft on 2005 March 2 at 21.18UT. This was recorded with 0.25-m f/7.2 Schmidt-Cassegrain + CCD on
5 x 180 second co-added unfiltered exposures.

SUPERNOVA 2005ab IN NGC 4617
Discovery by Koichi Itagaki, Japan, of a possible supernova (IAUC 8478):
SN      2005 UT        R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.   Mag.     Offset
2005ab  Feb.  6.63   12 41 05.18  +50 22 56.2 16.7   7"W  , 40"S

SUPERNOVA 2005ac IN ANONYMOUS GALAXY
Discovery by LOSS of a possible supernova (IAUC 8478):
SN      2005 UT        R.A.  (2000.0)  Decl.   Mag.     Offset
2005ac  Feb.  4.50   13 39 55.82  +00 52 15.0 18.0   2.2"W, 0.9"S

Guy M Hurst

[Rick]

Comet-hunting Rosetta films distant asteroid

The comet-hunting spacecraft Rosetta has sent back its first sighting of the asteroid 21-Lutetia, one of two rocky bodies it will study en route to the comet 67p Churyumov-Gerasimenko. It will not get anywhere close to the rock for more than two years, but has already begun sending back preliminary data.

Once the Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS) mounted onboard the Rosetta orbiter was up and running, it began tracking the asteroid. Along with its planned observations of asteroid 2867-Steins, this early study of the 100km-wide Lutetia will help the mission in a number of ways.

More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/29/rosetta_pictures/

[Rick]

25 February 2007
At 03:57 CET today, mission controllers at ESOC, ESA's Space Operations Centre in Germany, confirmed Rosetta's successful swingby of Mars, a key milestone in the 7.1-thousand-million km journey of this unique spacecraft to its target comet in 2014.

The gravitational energy of Mars helped Rosetta change direction, while the spacecraft was decelerated with respect to the Sun by an estimated 7887 km/hour. The spacecraft is now on the correct track towards Earth - its next destination planet whose gravitational energy Rosetta will exploit in November this year to gain acceleration and continue on its trek.

More: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMWZ5CE8YE_index_0.html

(and thanks to Diane Duane's blog for the link...)

[Rick]

Comet-chasing spacecraft Rosetta has sent back pictures of its closest approach to Mars after it completed its flyby of the planet this weekend. The stunning pictures are the first taken by the Philae lander's instruments operating independently of the main craft.

More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/02/26/mars_rosetta/

[Rick]

A series of beautiful images taken by Rosetta's Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS), shows planet Mars in the pre-close-approach phase.

See them here: http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMUDT70LYE_index_0.html

[Rick]

Deadly planet-smash asteroid was actually Euro probe

Asteroid-apocalypse experts were struck by a shower of eggs last week, as they prepared to sound the alarm over an incoming space boulder potentially capable of wiping out life on Earth - only to find that the object was a well-known European space probe (Rosetta) on a planned flyby.

The Minor Planet Centre (MPC) - which is to asteroids what the Cheyenne Mountain command bunker was to Russian missiles - raised the alarm last week. The MPC passed the word among astronomers that a deadly celestial object, designated 2007 VN84, would pass within 5,600km of Earth, and asked for tracking information.

More: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/13/rosetta_asteroid_spacecraft_patrick_moore_cockup/

It's not 1st April yet...

[Mike]

No comment !!   

[Rick]

Comet chaser makes Earth swing-by

A European space probe has swung by the Earth to gather energy to chase down and land on a distant comet.

The unmanned Rosetta craft made its closest approach to the planet at 20:57 GMT on Tuesday at a distance of 5,301km above the Pacific Ocean.

The spacecraft was using the Earth's gravity to give it the boost it needs to reach its final destination in 2014.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7093402.stm

[Carole]

This was the probe that we had a talk about at one of our meetings.  Nice to know where it has got to, but how can these professionals not know what crafts are up there at a given time!!!!

Carole

[Rick]

I think the asteroid-collision folks just got a bit over-excited when they worked out how close it was coming, and forgot to check.

[Rick]

Rosetta spies nightlife on our sleeping planet

What better way to start a Friday than with a stupendously glorious picture of our planet? Well, we couldn't think of many better ways that are legal, so we've gone for the picture option.

Go see the pics: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/16/night_time_earth/

[MarkS]

A stupendously glorious picture of our planet? 
Look at all that lovely light pollution. 

[Rick]

Yeah. That's what I thought, too... Still, it's another eye-catching illustration of the problem. Interesting how much worse the northern hemisphere is. :/

[Rick]

The Rosetta space probe has made a close pass of asteroid Steins.

The European Space Agency mission flew past the 5km-wide rock at a distance of about 800km, taking pictures and recording other scientific data.

The information was sent back to Earth for processing late on Friday and released to the public on Saturday.

More: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7599962.stm