Comet: Photographs from the Rosetta Space Probe

(Hardback)

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Description

Comet presents the amazing story of the Rosetta space probe and its interstellar voyage to the comet Tchoury. Its mission - to find clues to the origins of our solar system and the emergence of life on Earth. Following a ten-year voyage and a journey spanning millions of kilometres through our Solar System, the Rosetta entered the comet's orbit. Its lander, Philae - a miniature science laboratory - landed directly on Tchoury's surface and was able to take the photographs presented here.

This triumph of scientific endeavour brought back a raft of incredible new photographs, the best of which are featured here. The book is built around the various phases in Rosetta's journey: leaving Earth, breaching its atmosphere and watching the lights of home recede; skirting the Moon and coming close to Mars; plunging into the cosmos' starry void and approaching the comet; and, finally, landing on Tchoury. The photographs are accompanied by a text that reflects on the objectives of the mission and the accomplishment of such a technological feat for humanity. Detailed captions provide the reader with accessible scientific information, enabling them to get to the heart of the subject.

Reviews

'An extraordinary book' - Black & White Photography
'Bringing us ever closer to these distant worlds' - Financial Times
'A raft of truly otherworldly photographs Testament to a hugely ambitious and pioneering scientific feat, Comet is an extraordinary book that transports the reader deep into the cosmos' - Outdoor Photography

Author Bio

Jean-Pierre Bibring is a French astrophysicist and Head of scientific operations on Philae, Rosettas lander. Hanns Zischler is an artist and filmmaker.