NASA's Oct. 17, 2026, Astronomy Picture of the Day presents Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in stereo, giving viewers a three-dimensional look at the comet's active, double-lobed nucleus.
The feature combines two images taken by Rosetta's OSIRIS narrow-angle camera on July 25, 2015. The spacecraft was 184 kilometers from the comet, NASA said. The entry directs viewers to use 3D glasses for the stereoscopic effect.
Jets are visible across the comet's surface in the view. NASA describes the nucleus as having two unequal lobes: the larger measures about 4 kilometers in diameter, while the smaller is about 2.5 kilometers. The jets appear as the comet neared its closest approach to the Sun, NASA said.
The European Space Agency (ESA) said Rosetta's mission ended on Sept. 30, 2016, with a controlled impact on 67P. Mission control confirmed the end after the spacecraft's signal disappeared. ESA said the decision came as Rosetta and the comet headed beyond Jupiter's orbit, where the spacecraft would have less power, with a monthlong period of more difficult communications approaching.
ESA credits Rosetta with being the first spacecraft to orbit a comet and to send a lander to its surface.
