Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

The Rosetta Landing on 67P

"After 10 years 5 months and 4 days of space travel
I can finally stretch out my legs"

Tweeted Philae, the lander of Rosetta.

It has the drama of a Hollywood film
The world is a buzz
Nothing may be the same ever again
67P has imbibed us
Absorbed Humanity like a Holy Intergalactic Sponge

It is, after all, a place of peace 
A place disease  and conflict free -for the moment!
And just like a 19th century explorer
It set out to harpoon that comet like a giant whale.

But what happened to 46P? It was dumped, scratched off ESA's methodical planning
like one scrapes hot cheese off a raclette
(46P was the Original comet Rosetta had a date with!)
And oh, only 230 million miles or 6.7 years of travel compared to 67P's 300 million miles.



But that's ok. Philae (pronounced Fileh) has landed!
Rosetta shall escort her little lander up until the perihelion


A point of orbit closest to the sun and where, some scientists believe the periwinkle originates.


Few, however know that the Rosetta mission was sponsored by Comet
America's #1 scrubbing cleanser that is known to have enough cleaning power to
Effectively remove grease, scum and rust stains. The ESA accepted Comet's 
10,000,000 $ 
Donation on condition that Rosetta transport a sample of its new gel-mildew remover. 
A simple brush was devised and attached to one of Philae's legs.
For the first time ever it will be seen



If a mildew remover can brighten what is otherwise considered a rather
Grey aspect of the comet 67P
(Already many tweets have expressed worry that the bottle is upside down letting the precious gel
seep out during the longish 6.4 billion mile journey. Experts at the maker of Comet have reassuringly been confident that their patented silicone valve will only release the gel when Philae enters into forceful contact with comet 67P at 5 meters per second.)


A very rare and recent image of Comet anti-mildew cleaner on Comet 67P

Another experiment that has already been performed by Philae is that a modern art work has been deposited on one of the less angular surfaces of the comet. The work by Judith Scott was made in 2004 just before the Ariane launching. Called "Bound and Unbound" it is a fiber wrapped 3-dimensional sculpture made out of discarded hoses, wires, reels and other assorted plastic trash that has been methodically woven together into an egg-shaped ball. 

Not only does this work celebrate an idiosyncratic and complex form, a bundle or bindle of human inspiration, but it has a harmonious effect on the duck-shaped comet 67P.

"It will be the first comet to exhibit a work of art", says Madelaine Zukerburg, the inspirational curator from the Art Growth Orbit Zenter in Berlin, Germany.
"Bound and Unbound will be viewing across the universe for hundreds of billions of miles."