Promising candidate for Philae’s whereabouts
Promising candidate for Philae’s whereabouts
Comparing three images acquired by the Rosetta orbiter’s Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS), bright spots can be seen – this could be the Philae lander on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The first image (left) shows the area on 22 October 2014 ¬– that is, before Philae’s landing. The second image (centre), acquired on 12 December 2014, and the third image (right), acquired on 13 December 2014 reveal several bright pixels. However, at the time that these images were acquired, Philae was illuminated by very little solar radiation. Moreover, this possible landing site is located outside the calculated landing ellipse.
