robinsherman19
Phillae's First Contact?
This is a highly blown up part of the first NAVCAM mosaic taken during the 14th Feb close flyby taken from 35 Km. Inevitably details are limited, but in line with the recent updated video by Flug of Phillae's flight, there is a very likely candidate for the first grazing contact after 46 minutes on the shoulder of Malmer Mount, the "rocky" pinnacle just below the Red circle. Being totally unscientific, Flug's inflight view of the first part of the first bounce feels intuitively spot on, as does the flight along the rim. The incompleteness of Matthias's shape model at this point, though better than the ESA one judging by the search area confusion, limits the accuracy of the video once Phillae moves over the edge of the rim.
There is a very bright spot on edge of the cliff marked by the Red circle. The slope of the cliff and angle Phillae would have hit this area looks to be about right to send Phillae off on the path she took almost parallel to the depression rim to reach her final landing spot in the green oval. It matches very well with Flug's video and the flight simulation data released by ESA which is used to construct the video simulation.
By zooming in right on this alcove there is only a faint hint of something inside, however Perihelion Cliff can be seen clearly on the right side of the alcove with its indentation halfway down as seen in the CIVAS image about level with one of Phillae's feet.
Credits: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM – CC BY-SA IGO 3.0
Phillae's First Contact?
This is a highly blown up part of the first NAVCAM mosaic taken during the 14th Feb close flyby taken from 35 Km. Inevitably details are limited, but in line with the recent updated video by Flug of Phillae's flight, there is a very likely candidate for the first grazing contact after 46 minutes on the shoulder of Malmer Mount, the "rocky" pinnacle just below the Red circle. Being totally unscientific, Flug's inflight view of the first part of the first bounce feels intuitively spot on, as does the flight along the rim. The incompleteness of Matthias's shape model at this point, though better than the ESA one judging by the search area confusion, limits the accuracy of the video once Phillae moves over the edge of the rim.
There is a very bright spot on edge of the cliff marked by the Red circle. The slope of the cliff and angle Phillae would have hit this area looks to be about right to send Phillae off on the path she took almost parallel to the depression rim to reach her final landing spot in the green oval. It matches very well with Flug's video and the flight simulation data released by ESA which is used to construct the video simulation.
By zooming in right on this alcove there is only a faint hint of something inside, however Perihelion Cliff can be seen clearly on the right side of the alcove with its indentation halfway down as seen in the CIVAS image about level with one of Phillae's feet.
Credits: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM – CC BY-SA IGO 3.0