Once again, the Rosetta probe was able to captured a beautiful moment in space. Images of what looked like a brilliant flash of light coming from a comet was released by the European Space Agency (ESA).
It was not long ago when the Rosetta probe found signs of life in one of the comets, and today it was able to catch a moment in space that only few of us will be able to witness on the spot. The ESA has been studying a particular comet in space when Rosetta probe captured an explosion that could have been caused by a landslide.
The space agency reviewed the timeline to learn when the outburst occurred, and in the record it showed that Rosetta probe took the snapshot on February 19 when it was 22 miles away from the comet.
Rosetta was able to capture an image of every angle while the comet was rotating. ESA assembled the images and managed to create a GIF that showed the outburst unfolding in half-hour intervals.
It was undeniable that Rosetta probe and its instruments captured the explosion dramatically. In the image, the comet reflected spikes of ultraviolet light. There was also some plasma, gas, dust and an increase in temperature as well.
In November 2014, Rosetta was able to complete its mission which was to dispatch a lander named Philae to a comet's surface. Unfortunately, the ESA lost contact with Philae as the landing didn't go smoothly as planned. While Philae was in a mode of "eternal hibernation", it briefly communicated with the Rosetta probe in 2015. But the space agency decided to shut down all communications with the lander in July 2016.
As Rosetta probe's approaches the end of its journey, controllers will be sending it on a controlled descent to a comet by September 30. As soon as that has been established, Rosetta won't be able to communicate anymore, but it will be making some measurements on its way down.
Read more: Rosetta’s Comet Shows Signs Of Life
