Effettuato con successo lo swing-by di Rosetta

E' stato completato con successo il passaggio vicino alla Terra di Rosetta, per avere una parte della velocità necessaria a raggiungere la cometa 67/P Churyumov-Gerasimenko di destinazione.
La sonda è passata a 5295 km dalla Terra a 12.5 km/s.
Durante il passaggio la sonda ha scattato numerose foto alla Terra e alla Luna.
Per quanto riguarda la Luna le osservazioni continueranno nella giornata odierna fino alle 11:00 CET, e proseguiranno il 15, il 16, 18 e 20 di questo mese.
Gli scienziati sono in attesa dei primi dati raccolti dal passaggio che saranno utilizzati per lo studio del nostro pianeta.
Un nuovo swing-by avverrà nel 2009, ci sarà però un flyby con l'asteroide Steins nel settembre del prossimo anno.

Ecco alcune immagini, scaricabili in HQ al sito:
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMXWN53R8F_index_1.html#subhead3

This is a composite of two images taken by Rosetta’s navigation camera (NAVCAM) right after Rosetta’s closest approach to Earth. The pictures were taken at 21:55 and 21:56 CET on 13 November, as Rosetta’s second Earth swing-by concluded, while the spacecraft was flying at a height of about 5500 km from the surface.

This image was taken by Rosetta’s navigation camera (NAVCAM) right after Rosetta’s closest approach to Earth. The picture was taken at 21:55 CET on 13 November, as Rosetta’s second Earth swing-by concluded, while the spacecraft was flying at a height of about 5500 km from the surface.

This image was taken by Rosetta’s navigation camera (NAVCAM) right after Rosetta’s closest approach to Earth. The picture was taken at 21:56 CET on 13 November, as Rosetta’s second Earth swing-by concluded, while the spacecraft was flying at a height of about 5500 km from the surface.

Rosetta’s navigation camera (NAVCAM) took this shot of Earth right after Rosetta’s closest approach to our planet. The picture was taken at 22:56 CET on 13 November, as Rosetta’s second Earth swing-by concluded, while the spacecraft was flying at a height of about 6250 km from the surface.

This picture of the Moon was taken by Rosetta’s navigation camera (NAVCAM) right after the comet chaser’s closest approach to our planet. The picture was taken at 00:10 CET on 14 November, as Rosetta’s second Earth swing-by concluded, while the spacecraft was flying at a height of about 6250 km from the surface.

This image was taken by Rosetta’s navigation camera (NAVCAM) right after Rosetta’s closest approach to Earth. The picture was taken at 21:58 CET on 13 November, as Rosetta’s second Earth swing-by concluded, while the spacecraft was flying at a height of about 5343 km directly above 78.74° west and 63.12° south.

This image was taken by Rosetta’s navigation camera (NAVCAM) right after Rosetta’s closest approach to Earth. The picture was taken at 21:54 CET on 13 November, as Rosetta’s second Earth swing-by concluded, while the spacecraft was flying at a height of about 5415 km directly above 44.35° west and 64.49° south.

Credits: ESA