Rosetta comet image suggests it may be RED rather than 'charcoal black'

• Up until now, images of the comet seen by the public have been taken in the grey-scale using Navcam
• The image will be released at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco on December 15
• Esa has yet to confirm if this is 'true colour' or if the colours were used to highlight geographical features
• Scientists had previously said comet was 'blacker than charcoal' following data from the Alice instrument
• There has been some controversy over why such colour images of the comet have been kept a secret

By Ellie Zolfagharifard for MailOnline

Published: 07:21 EST, 1 December 2014 | Updated: 09:15 EST, 1 December 2014

What appears to be the first 'true-colour image' of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has been revealed by Rosetta scientists.

And in a surprising twist, rather than being the 'charcoal black' that Esa expected, the image suggests the ancient comet is in fact a dusty red.

Up until now, all of the spectacular images of the comet seen by the public have been taken by Rosetta's Navcam, which can only capture images in grey-scale.

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True colours? The image, due to be released at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco on December 15, was taken by the taken by a Rosetta instrument dubbed Osiris. Up until now, most of the spectacular images of the comet have been released in gray-scale

But the latest image, which is being described as 'true-colour' by Redditors, reveals what the comet would look like if it was to be viewed by the naked eye.

The image, originally shared by Reddit, is due to be released at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco on December 15.

It was taken by an instrument dubbed Osiris, which is a dual imaging system operating in the visible, near infrared and near ultraviolet wavelength ranges.

While it doesn't have colour sensors, it does have filter wheels to allow engineers to select of imaging wavelengths in red, green and blue.

'Darker than coal: In September, the Alice instrument on Rosetta mapped the comet's surface, recording the first far-ultraviolet light spectra of the comet's surface.From the data, the Alice team said the comet is unusually dark - darker than charcoal-black - when viewed in ultraviolet wavelengths. Pictured is an artist's impression of what they believed it may look like

Each photo can then be combined to create a 'true colour' image. The latest image is blurred because the comet moved between exposures.

A summary accompanying the image says: 'will discuss the colour variegation observed on the comet surface and its relationship to surface morphology and cometary activity'.

According to Business Insider, this suggests the image is a colour composite made to emphasis various features on the comet's surface, rather than being 'true colour'.

In September, the Alice instrument on Rosetta mapped the comet's surface, recording the first far-ultraviolet light spectra of the comet's surface.

From the data, the Alice team said the comet is unusually dark - darker than charcoal-black - when viewed in ultraviolet wavelengths.

PHILAE MAY BE REVIVED IN MARCH: PLUCK PROBE COULD COME BACK TO LIFE AS 67P GETS CLOSER TO THE SUN

Back from the dead: Philae (pictured) broke hearts earlier this month when, in its dying moments, it managed to send back valuable data from comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko

Philae broke hearts earlier this month when, in its dying moments, it managed to send back valuable data from comet 67P.

But, all is not lost. Rosetta engineers claim the plucky probe could come back to life as soon as March next year, as comet 67P gets closer to the sun. The probe is currently receiving an hour of sunlight during the comet's 12-hour day, with its batteries frozen in temperatures of -170°C.

In a recent Reddit 'ask me anything' session, engineers at mission control said: 'Philae needs to be heated until we can think of starting to charge the battery.

The batteries were meant to be recharged by solar panels, but because Philae hopped a couple of times after the first touchdown, it ended up in shadow. 'It is like trying to power your house with solar panels when you live in Alaska just below the Arctic Circle during the winter,' said Michael Maibaum, Philae systems engineer.

Engineers claim the seasonal change toward spring in Philae's hemisphere will bring the probe into much more sunlight over the next few months. That, coupled with the fact that the comet is getting closer to the sun, should warm up the batteries enough to keep them charged.

Stephan Ulamec, manager of the Philae lander, added that he was 'very optimistic' that it would soon wake up. The amount of science that the team will be able to do will depends on how long it takes to recharge the batteries, he said.

'We're a bit surprised at just how unreflective the comet's surface is and how little evidence of exposed water-ice it shows,' said Alan Stern, Alice principal investigator at the time.

This finding contradicts this latest picture of comet 67P, and Esa has yet to confirm whether this is a 'true colour' image.

For several months, there has also been controversy over why colour images, and other data, from Rosetta's comet have been kept behind closed doors.

'The scientists who develop the instruments that are put on Rosetta have the right to use the data for their own purposes for six months – we have difficulties to even get pictures from them,' Paulo Ferri, Rosetta mission director told MailOnline.

'After six months, they will be open to the science community. But they are very, very cautious.'

Mr Ferri says, 'there must be something big' in the image which has caused the secrecy up until now. He believe data from Rosetta could help explain how the solar system formed 4.5 billion years ago.

There has also been some controversy over why colour images of Rosetta's comet have been kept behind closed doors.'The scientists who develop the instruments that are put on Rosetta have the right to use the data for their own purposes for six months – we have difficulties to even get pictures from them,' Paulo Ferri, Rosetta mission director told MailOnline. An artist's impression of Rosetta and 67P are pictured