See the Philae lander descend onto a comet

Now you can get a glimpse of what it looks like to land on a comet. The European Space Agency (ESA) just released this amazing GIF of the Rosetta mission’s Philae lander descending upon comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The GIF is a compilation of images taken by Philae’s ROLIS imager in November, as the vehicle gently lowered itself onto the space rock.

The ESA released the GIF today along with seven studies analyzing the data received by Philae last year. The research, published in the journal Science, provides insight into the composition of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, as well as the organic compounds found on its surface.

Verge Vault: Space exploration is back