11/12/14 7:43 PM

So ESA put a probe on a comet. I can't wait to read what kind of cool things we learn from it before it cooks the little probe off the surface.

Amino Acids? Organics? Just how much water? Other elements?

This is science I LOVE! Just what is out there and how does and did it interact with the Earth?

So cool.

11/12/14 10:55 PM

Very, very cool.

11/13/14 7:33 AM

quote:

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...before it cooks the little probe off the surface.

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11/13/14 8:54 AM

comets are stinky.

and this one sounds a little like King Ghidora:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2830476/Listen-Rosetta-s-comet-singing-Scientists-baffled-mysterious-sounds-recorded-near-67P-ahead-Philae-landing.html

agree this is amazing science. remote sensing is much better use of limited space exploration funds than the shuttle or other currently planned manned programs.

11/13/14 9:02 AM

As the comet approaches the sun it's surface temps rise a great deal.
This is why they off gas jets of water/ice/debris and form a tail. The temps get VERY hot on the side facing the sun. Comets tumble which causes them to thaw and freeze which is why they shrink as they age. This comet will orbit around the sun and should not break up do to degradation or gravity. It's orbit is fairly far from the sun unlike the one last year that broke up and got fried.

The probe and lander most likely will die before it goes completely around the sun and heads back out.

What we see now in pictures will change dramatically as the comet approaches the sun. The really interesting thing about this mission is the fact that it is not static. We will get to see lots of great pics and learn so much.

11/13/14 1:40 PM

Yea, very cool. Was watching the web streaming. Was even wondering how come no one from the TTF gang posted anything. I guess everyone was busy during the day.

11/13/14 9:17 PM

The coverage I was reading said that the probe landed on the comet at a relative velocity of 1m/sec (just over 2mph) and bounced - the gravity of the comet is so low that the probe bounced a kilometre back into space and took two hours to hit the surface again - where it did another smaller bounce before finally coming to rest.

11/14/14 8:06 AM

11/14/14 9:23 AM

Little bugger may die because it is in the shadows. They have not figured out exactly where it parked.

11/14/14 9:43 AM

Latest I've heard (not sure if it's accurate) is that the final landing spot is next to a cliff or crater rim, where the probe's solar panels are in shadow much more of the time than expected. If that's true and can't be corrected, it may only operate for the few days that the batteries will last, then go dead. So a lot less data will be obtained. They're working on a fix.

11/14/14 10:44 PM

It has gone into long sleep...till the next sun rise.

Could be a very long wait