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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsNASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day for October 17, 2026, is 3D 67P, a red/blue stereo view of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Viewed through red/blue glasses, the anaglyph gives the comet’s irregular, two-lobed nucleus an apparent three-dimensional form, making its narrow connecting neck, rugged terrain and active jets easier to distinguish.
What NASA’s 3D 67P picture shows
The image depicts the nucleus of Comet 67P, a small, active comet with a distinctive bilobed shape. Its larger lobe measures around 4 kilometers across, while the smaller lobe is about 2.5 kilometers across. A narrow neck joins the two masses, giving 67P its characteristic “rubber-duck” outline.
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Several jets stream from the comet’s surface. These plumes are produced when sunlight warms volatile ices and releases gas and dust from the nucleus. In this view, the activity is associated with the comet’s approach to its closest point to the Sun, when solar heating intensifies.
How to view the APOD in 3D
- Obtain red/blue anaglyph glasses, with the red filter normally placed over the left eye and the blue or cyan filter over the right.
- Open NASA’s October 17, 2026 APOD image, titled 3D 67P, on a screen large enough to show the two color-separated views clearly.
- Put on the glasses and look at the image straight on. The paired red and blue exposures are intended to merge into a single scene with visible depth.
- If the image appears doubled or the depth is reversed, check that the filters are over the correct eyes; swapping the glasses can correct reversed depth.
Anaglyph depth is an optical effect rather than a live three-dimensional measurement. The apparent relief comes from presenting slightly different viewpoints to the two eyes.
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Rosetta’s images behind the anaglyph
3D 67P was produced by combining two photographs from the Rosetta spacecraft’s narrow-angle OSIRIS camera. The source images were taken on July 25, 2015, when Rosetta was 184 kilometers from the comet. Using a pair of views allows image specialists to construct the red/blue stereo separation needed for an anaglyph.
| Detail | What the APOD identifies |
|---|---|
| APOD date | October 17, 2026 |
| Image title | 3D 67P |
| Target | Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko |
| Spacecraft | Rosetta |
| Camera | Narrow-angle OSIRIS |
| Source-image date | July 25, 2015 |
| Spacecraft distance | 184 kilometers from the comet |
| Stereo method | Red/blue anaglyph generated from paired images |
| Image credit | ESA, Rosetta, MPS, OSIRIS; stereo anaglyph by Philippe Lamy and The Team |
Why the stereo view matters
A conventional photograph records the comet on a flat image plane. Stereo processing adds a second viewpoint, allowing the eye-brain system to infer depth. That makes features such as the deep neck between the lobes and the uneven boundary of the nucleus more legible than they may be in a single frame.
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The technique is especially useful for a body as irregular as 67P. Its surface is not a smooth sphere: cliffs, depressions, boulders and active regions are distributed across two connected lobes. The jets also provide visual clues about where material is escaping as the comet becomes more strongly heated.
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Rosetta’s comet mission ended in September 2016. The spacecraft was deliberately guided into a controlled impact on 67P’s surface, bringing the mission to an end while returning data from close to the nucleus. The photographs used for this APOD therefore come from a completed mission, even though new visualizations can still be created from its extensive archive.
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NASA’s explanation also points readers to a collection of nearly 1,400 Rosetta stereo anaglyphs. That catalog extends the same red/blue viewing method beyond this single APOD, offering additional perspectives on the comet recorded during Rosetta’s exploration.
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Key facts at a glance
- Object: Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
- Format: Stereo anaglyph designed for red/blue glasses.
- Larger lobe: Around 4 kilometers in diameter.
- Smaller lobe: About 2.5 kilometers in diameter.
- Structure: Two lobes connected by a narrow neck.
- Activity: Jets emerging from the surface near closest solar approach.
- Imaging mission: Rosetta, using the OSIRIS narrow-angle camera.
- Acquisition: July 25, 2015, from 184 kilometers away.
- Mission ending: Controlled impact in September 2016.
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