A treasure trove of photos captured by the Rosetta space probe as it explored a comet millions of miles from Earth has been made available online.
The library of 70,000 photos, released by the European Space Agency, highlights key features of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko - a 2.5 mile-wide space rock orbiting the planet Jupiter.
These include strange cracks, tall rock faces, and stunning "dust fountains" formed as the sun's radiation caused parts of the comet's surface to burst open.
The high-resolution images, captured by Rosetta's Optical, Spectroscopic and Infrared Remote Imaging System (OSIRIS), show comet activity in better detail than scientists had ever seen before.
The archive is a joint project with Flensburg University of Applied Sciences and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, which lead the OSIRIS team.
Rosetta made history in 2014 when it became the first man-made machine to orbit a comet and land a module on its surface.
Over the next two years it produced a wealth of data, providing valuable clues about the origins of the solar system and life on Earth.
One of its key discoveries was an unusual form of water not common on Earth, suggesting that comets similar to 67P were not responsible for bringing oceans to our own planet.
Rosetta also discovered carbon-containing organic molecules that, under the right conditions, could be the building blocks of life.
New details from the probe's readings are still coming to light today as scientists sift through Rosetta's stunning imagery.
The space probe ended its 12-year mission on 30 September 2016, by crashing onto the surface of the comet .
The decision was taken to carry out the "controlled impact" because the comet was taking Rosetta so far from the Sun that its solar panels were no longer able to generate power.
Many of the dramatic pictures are featured in a new book published by Thames & Hudson, entitled Comet: Photographs from the Rosetta Space Probe.
The book details the remarkable interstellar voyage of the Rosetta probe - one of the most important scientific journeys of this century.
Images range from shots of the Earth receding into the distance, to fly-by images of Mars and the asteroid belt, and the comet itself.
In the book's introduction, French astrophysicist Jean-Pierre Bibring, Head of Scientific Operations on Philae, Rosetta's lander, explains why the Rosetta's ambitious endeavour was so significant.
"Rosetta and Philae are playing a key role in the revolution triggered by the space exploration of the solar system, and to our vision of planetary worlds," he writes.
"Reassessment of major existing paradigms are taking place, with in particular, the plurality of worlds being replaced by their diversity.
"Above and beyond the unprecedented beauty of the images they took of a comet, Rosetta and Philae also raise fundamental new issues that challenge our very origins."
Comet: Photographs from the Rosetta Space Probe, published by Thames & Hudson, will be released at the end of the month.
