back to article Rosetta probe's final packets massaged into new snap of Comet 67P

The European Space Agency (ESA) has been able to squeeze one last photo out of the Rosetta probe. Rosetta crash-landed onto Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in September 2016 and the ESA revealed the last image it captured. That snap was thought to have been taken from an altitude of about 50m, but the agency now thinks it was …

  1. A K Stiles
    Pint

    Good work those Rosetta researchers

    or sysadmins / developers / whoever thought to look at exactly what they'd got back.

    A beer on me should we ever meet.

  2. Zog_but_not_the_first
    IT Angle

    Protocol?

    Should have used Zmodem.

  3. Dr Who

    And wow! Hey! What’s this thing suddenly coming towards me very fast? Very very fast. So big and flat and round, it needs a big wide sounding name like … ow … ound … round … ground! That’s it! That’s a good name – ground!

    I wonder if it will be friends with me?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Or more probably "Oh no, not again."

      1. Dr Who

        You are very improbably right.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Hmm, Coincidence? I just binged all 6 episodes of the HHGTTG TV Series...

          1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

            "I just binged all 6 episodes of the HHGTTG TV Series..."

            Oh FFS, I just read that as an admission you were the Bing user! Then I realised you used the proper English word for overdosing, not the bastardised MS/American "new" word referring to an obscure search engine.

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              After I typed it, I had to check the spelling, as I could only read the alternative version, even though I knew I had written the correct English word :)

    2. Stoneshop
      Boffin

      FTFY

      So big and duck-shaped and lumpy, it needs a big lumpy name like … umm ... Churyumov … ! That’s it! That’s a good name – Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko!

  4. Mystic Megabyte
    Pint

    Amazing!

    How they worked out all the complicated manoeuvres to get Rosseta there baffles me. Science at its best.

    1. John Robson Silver badge

      Re: Amazing!

      Manœuvre nodes...

      1. imanidiot Silver badge

        Re: Amazing!

        And hours of fiddling with them. Probably finding that intercept and then just overshooting a tad EVERY SINGLE TIME... (or is that just me).

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Amazing!

      > How they worked out all the complicated manoeuvres to get Rosseta there baffles me. Science at its best.

      *Engineering* at its best. And good simulators.

    3. David Austin

      Re: Amazing!

      Obligatory XKCD Link:

      https://xkcd.com/1356/

  5. Teiwaz
    Coat

    What are you looking at? Boulders. Perhaps with some organic molecules present,

    or an attractive lieutenants thigh in close-up?

    Sorry, another UFO reference - I'll just get my anorak.

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
      Happy

      Re: What are you looking at? Boulders. Perhaps with some organic molecules present,

      Would that be the shiny silver anorak, with the matching skintight trousers?

      1. Teiwaz

        Re: What are you looking at? Boulders. Perhaps with some organic molecules present,

        Would that be the shiny silver anorak, with the matching skintight trousers?

        Ahh, you're thinking of the removable sleeves and legs number....?

        .....No....

        Nobody could possilby want to see my variably hairy legs topped by figurehugging silver hotpants ...

        (even with a fetching purple wig) (and even if I dyed my beard to match)......

      2. Snapper

        Re: What are you looking at? Boulders. Perhaps with some organic molecules present,

        Nope, Gabrielle Drake playing Lieutenant Gay Ellis was wearing a mini-skirt, I remember it well.

        https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UFIEbscrNOU/VTvH3nQu9LI/AAAAAAABkms/pTsB6Zf6FbA/s1600/Gabrielle%2BDrake%2Bin%2BUFO%2Bphoto%2Bshoot.jpg

        IIRC She was demonstrating that a surface without reference to scale was a problem when trying identify stuff on the aliens planet taken by a spy satellite when the distance/scale recording had gone dodgy. The engineers chose to demonstrate the problem by showing a close up of her >gulp< thigh.

        I was a young lad at the time............

        1. TRT Silver badge

          Re: What are you looking at? Boulders. Perhaps with some organic molecules present,

          Altitude and magnification. That probe had one hell of a lens, though!

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: What are you looking at? Boulders. Perhaps with some organic molecules present,

          "I was a young lad at the time" ....... me too and it was such a long time ago, but I still have a thing about girls with purple hair. You too?

          1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

            Re: What are you looking at? Boulders. Perhaps with some organic molecules present,

            Yup.

    2. TRT Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: What are you looking at? Boulders. Perhaps with some organic molecules present,

      Mine's the one with the Nehru collar.

      But, you know, turning one's head on its side... doesn't that look like the top of an arabic letter?

  6. hplasm
    Happy

    Rosetta had

    a dashcam!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Rosetta had

      I wonder if the extra snap will affect the outcome of the insurance claim for the collision. If this proves that 67P did in fact signal before pulling out then ESA could be liable for damages to the comet.

  7. SilverCommentard

    Is is just me

    Or can anyone else see a grimacing face on that big boulder slightly right of centre?

    1. PNGuinn
      Pirate

      Re: Is is just me

      Clangers!

      Let's play "find the soup dragon"

  8. VinceH
    Alien

    "What are you looking at? Boulders."

    And, at the bottom left, a mahoosive space moth.

  9. Stevie

    Bah!

    Rosetta probe's final packets massaged into new snap of Comet 67P

    Clearly seen is the leaking refrigerator now deemed responsible for all the Freon in the Vacuum of Space.

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