Rosetta is in its 18.6 km medium orbit now. Decision on whether to go to the planned 9.6 km low orbit should have been taken today, if GO then burn will be on wednesday.
NAVCAM's snapping pictures at about 1.4m/px resolution*, including the one below of the intended landing site J for Philae:
(Large version here)
Large parts of pics taken these days are shadowed, since Rosetta's orbit is matching the comet's terminator plane, i.e. the exact line between day and night on the surface. It will remain on this orbital plane since this way its solar panels can stay edge-on to the gas flow coming from the comet, thus minimizing degradation damage. Placing Rosetta e.g. "ahead" of the orbit, i.e. permanently on the dayside, would mean the panels' "back side" would constantly be pummeled by the comet's gas flows.
Philae is actively conducting science by now, using its surface sampling and analysis instruments to analyze the comet's coma. The SD2 surface drilling/sampling system is currently used to inhale some of the dust cloud into one of its 26 ovens so once heated the resulting gasses can be analyzed by the PTOLEMY gas chromatograph.
*- OSIRIS' narrow-angle camera should have around 0.4 m/px resolution at this distance. At the low 9.6 km orbit it would be around 0.2 m/px. MPG isn't releasing any OSIRIS pics lately though.
NAVCAM's snapping pictures at about 1.4m/px resolution*, including the one below of the intended landing site J for Philae:
(Large version here)
Large parts of pics taken these days are shadowed, since Rosetta's orbit is matching the comet's terminator plane, i.e. the exact line between day and night on the surface. It will remain on this orbital plane since this way its solar panels can stay edge-on to the gas flow coming from the comet, thus minimizing degradation damage. Placing Rosetta e.g. "ahead" of the orbit, i.e. permanently on the dayside, would mean the panels' "back side" would constantly be pummeled by the comet's gas flows.
Philae is actively conducting science by now, using its surface sampling and analysis instruments to analyze the comet's coma. The SD2 surface drilling/sampling system is currently used to inhale some of the dust cloud into one of its 26 ovens so once heated the resulting gasses can be analyzed by the PTOLEMY gas chromatograph.
*- OSIRIS' narrow-angle camera should have around 0.4 m/px resolution at this distance. At the low 9.6 km orbit it would be around 0.2 m/px. MPG isn't releasing any OSIRIS pics lately though.
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