Descent to a Comet

Yesterday, the first soft landing on a comet took place some 500 million kilometers from planet Earth as the Rosetta mission lander Philae settled on the nucleus of this remarkable image snapped by Philae’s ROLIS (ROsetta Lander Imaging System) camera. Taken from a distance of about 3 kilometers the image has a resolution of about 3 meters per pixel at the surface. After Philae’s release from the orbiter, its seven-hour long descent was made without propulsion or guidance. Following its descent the lander is in place, though its anchoring harpoon system did not fire. For 2.5 days the lander is intended to conduct its main science mission returning extensive images and data. An extended surface mission may be possible if sunlight and dust conditions allow solar panels to recharge Philae’s battery.

from NASA

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About Unknown

It's my pleasure to introduce my self..well, I'm The Geekiest. I tie my own shoes, brush my own hair, and make my own bed... (well, only if my mom isn't at home.) During the day, I can be found sitting in an office cubicle, feverishly tapping my phone with hopes of getting a new high score on Tetris. I like to spend my evenings watching re-runs of Firefly while sipping on a glass of Chardonnay. I play a mean game of rock-paper-scissors (was the national champion for 2 years straight), and love the smell of pop tarts in the morning (part of a complete breakfast!)