OSIRIS

The Rosetta camera. Copyright ESA/AOES medialab

OSIRIS (Optical, Spectroscopic, and Infrared Remote Imaging System) consists of two independent cameras; a wide angle and a narrow angle camera, both sharing an electronic system.

Both cameras are fitted with filter wheels to allow selection of a number of imaging wavelengths; from near infrared to near ultraviolet. The wide-angle camera is designed to image the dust and gas above the comet’s surface. The narrow-angle camera is designed to operate at distances of between 500,000 km and 1 km from the comet and will image the surface to a resolution of up to 2 cm per pixel.

For sources and further information visit:

• http://sci.esa.int/rosetta/35061-instruments/?fbodylongid=1642
• http://www.mps.mpg.de/1979623/OSIRIS