After ten years of space travel and multiple gravity assists to reach fantastic speeds, the European spacecraft Rosetta arrived at its destination, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, very early this morning.
The event was streamed live by the European Space Agency.
Comets offer scientists a time capsule, a look at the chemical and mineral composition of material present during the earliest periods of our solar system.
And that look will be close indeed. In November a small companion craft called Philae will gently land on the surface, which has very little gravity, lash itself to the streaking body, bore into the comet and relay its findings to the orbiting Rosetta.
If that interests you, make plans now to hear Lee Billings at IdeaFestival 2014! Author of Five Billion Years of Solitude, he'll discuss the current understanding of these ancient bodies, the recent discovery of hundreds of extrasolar planets and touch, I'm sure, on the very ancient questions of life and its place in the universe that inevitably accompany these finds.
Festival Passes are on sale now, but please don't wait too long! We're expecting to sell out again this year, and the price for a pass will go up on Sept. 2. The complete agenda and speaker line-up is available on the IdeaFestival web site!
Stay curious.
Wayne
Image: ESA/Rosetta/MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/SSO/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA