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12/11/2014
QUB Astronomers Assist Comet Landing
Astronomers at Queen’s University Belfast are currently assisting the first ever landing by a spacecraft on an icy comet.
At 08:35 this morning, a robotic lander called Philae was released from the European Space Agency Rosetta spacecraft and is currently decending to the comet.
A successful touchdown signal is expected to be received on Earth at about 16:00, providing the first pictures from a comet’s surface.
Professor Alan Fitzsimmons from the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen’s University and colleagues have spent over ten years studying the comet from Earth and measuring its properties.
The 1.3bn euro Rosetta spacecraft launched in 2004 and has spent ten years manoeuvring to rendezvous with the comet.
Professor Fitzsimmons said: "We have waited over 10 years for this day, but with the comet being over 317 million miles away, all we can do now is cross our fingers and hope.
"The Rosetta mission realises the ambition of mankind to explore our origins, and discover what is out there. It demonstrates that the European Space Agency plays a major role in the scientific exploration of our Solar system, and Queen’s is part of that effort."
Professor Fitzsimmons is to appear on BBC4 on Sunday at 21:00, in a Sky at Night Special programme.
One of the aspects that will be measured is the water ice making up most of the comet. Astronomers believe that comets like that being studied may have delivered all of Earth’s water after its formation, 4.5bn years ago.
A live stream of the operation is available to view here.
(IT/CD)
At 08:35 this morning, a robotic lander called Philae was released from the European Space Agency Rosetta spacecraft and is currently decending to the comet.
A successful touchdown signal is expected to be received on Earth at about 16:00, providing the first pictures from a comet’s surface.
Professor Alan Fitzsimmons from the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen’s University and colleagues have spent over ten years studying the comet from Earth and measuring its properties.
The 1.3bn euro Rosetta spacecraft launched in 2004 and has spent ten years manoeuvring to rendezvous with the comet.
Professor Fitzsimmons said: "We have waited over 10 years for this day, but with the comet being over 317 million miles away, all we can do now is cross our fingers and hope.
"The Rosetta mission realises the ambition of mankind to explore our origins, and discover what is out there. It demonstrates that the European Space Agency plays a major role in the scientific exploration of our Solar system, and Queen’s is part of that effort."
Professor Fitzsimmons is to appear on BBC4 on Sunday at 21:00, in a Sky at Night Special programme.
One of the aspects that will be measured is the water ice making up most of the comet. Astronomers believe that comets like that being studied may have delivered all of Earth’s water after its formation, 4.5bn years ago.
A live stream of the operation is available to view here.
(IT/CD)
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