This weekend the European Space Agency cheered as their probe Rosetta popped by Mars for a cuppa and headed back home to earth — and now that these amazing infrared photos have been received, I can see why. But Rosetta doesn’t just fly by — it literally swings by a planet and slingshots back out, and its return to earth this November will be for more pictures and to gain momentum for more travel. It’s the swingin’ probe. Ahem.
Beautiful new images from Rosetta’s approach to Mars: OSIRIS UPDATE (images, esa.int, via Neatorama)
Mars as you’ve never seen it before (story, abc.net.au)