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NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for Oct. 24, 2026, features an image taken by the CIVA camera system aboard the Philae lander while it was still attached to the Rosetta spacecraft. Captured on Oct. 7, 2014, the picture shows Rosetta 16 kilometers from comet 67P; NASA identifies it as the last image from Philae’s camera before separation.
NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for Oct. 24, 2026, features a selfie of the Rosetta spacecraft taken near comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014, shortly before its Philae lander separated from the orbiter. The image records the spacecraft from just 16 kilometers above the comet’s surface and offers a view of Rosetta’s work during its close approach to the comet.
The picture was captured on October 7, 2014, when Rosetta was about 472 million kilometers from Earth and 16 kilometers from the comet, according to NASA’s accompanying explanation. The comet’s double-lobed nucleus appears beyond the spacecraft, with dust and gas streaming away from it. Sunlight reflects from one of Rosetta’s 14-meter-long solar arrays.
NASA says the image combines two exposures, one short and one long, to capture the scene’s strong contrast. It was made using the CIVA camera system aboard Philae, which was still attached to Rosetta at the time. NASA describes it as the last image taken by Philae’s camera before the lander separated from the orbiter on Nov. 12, 2014.
Philae’s selected primary landing site was on the visible side of the comet’s smaller lobe. NASA’s account says that after separation the lander took another image looking back toward Rosetta, then began its descent toward the comet’s surface. The APOD entry credits the image to ESA/Rosetta/Philae/CIVA and lists Oct. 24, 2026, as its publication date.
A View Before Philae’s Separation
The image links two stages of the Rosetta mission: the orbiter’s close study of 67P and Philae’s planned descent to the nucleus. Its timing makes the picture more than a portrait of the spacecraft. It captures the lander’s camera shortly before Philae left Rosetta to attempt its landing, with the comet visible in the same frame.
For readers, the photograph also makes the mission’s scale easier to grasp. Rosetta was far from Earth but only 16 kilometers from the comet, close enough for the nucleus and escaping material to fill the view beyond the orbiter. The image is a historical record from the mission rather than a new observation: NASA is presenting it as the featured astronomy image on the stated date.
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From Orbit to Comet Descent
Rosetta was a European Space Agency mission to study comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The image’s camera was not mounted on the orbiter itself: CIVA belonged to Philae, the lander carried by Rosetta. That distinction matters because the selfie was taken from the lander’s perspective while it remained attached to the spacecraft.
The photograph predates Philae’s separation by more than a month. According to NASA’s APOD explanation, separation took place on November 12, 2014; afterward, Philae made an additional image looking back toward the orbiter and began its descent. The Oct. 24, 2026, APOD republishes and explains the earlier image, with NASA crediting ESA, Rosetta, Philae and CIVA.
What the APOD Entry Does Not Say
The source describes the image and its mission timing but does not provide new scientific measurements, a newly announced mission finding or additional technical details about the image beyond the combined short and long exposures. The APOD feature is a presentation of an existing photograph, not a report of fresh data from the comet.
The NASA page identifies the image’s date, camera system, spacecraft distance and mission sequence. It does not explain further how the two exposures were processed or provide more detail about Philae’s later descent in this entry. No additional claims about those matters can be established from the supplied account.
The Next Featured Astronomy Image
NASA’s APOD listing says the next day’s picture is titled “dark matters.” The supplied entry does not provide its image, explanation or subject details, so those cannot be described here. The Rosetta selfie itself remains an archival image featured on Oct. 24, 2026, rather than an announcement of a forthcoming Rosetta mission event.
Key Questions
When was Rosetta’s selfie taken?
The image was captured on October 7, 2014, according to NASA’s APOD explanation. It was featured by NASA on Oct. 24, 2026.
How close was Rosetta to comet 67P?
NASA says Rosetta was about 16 kilometers from the comet’s surface when the image was taken. It was approximately 472 million kilometers from Earth at that time.
Which camera took the picture?
The image was taken by the CIVA camera system aboard Philae, the lander still attached to Rosetta. NASA says two exposures, one short and one long, were combined.
Why does NASA call it Philae’s last camera image before separation?
NASA’s explanation says this was the final image from Philae’s camera before the lander separated from Rosetta on November 12, 2014. After separation, Philae took another picture looking back toward the orbiter.
Is the APOD feature reporting a new discovery?
No new discovery is described in the supplied APOD entry. It features and explains a 2014 archival image of Rosetta near comet 67P.
Source: primary
