Fun with astrophysics

From Space.com:

On Wednesday (Feb. 1) a comet that has not visited the Earth since the last ice age and the time of the Neanderthals will make its closest approach to our planet, or perigee. 

Excitingly, the comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF), which last passed through the inner solar system around 50,000 years ago, will be at its brightest during this time and may even be visible to the naked eye under the right conditions.

In 2016 an exciting mission was ended. The Rosetta spacecraft made its final maneuver. A controlled hard-landing on the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67p).

Before that, Rosetta accompanied the comet for more then 2 years. It researched valuable scientific data, brought a lander on to the comets surface, and took a vast number of pictures.

Now that's a pretty comet. ESA:

Enjoy this compilation of with the last images taken by Rosetta's high resolution OSIRIS camera during the mission's final hours at Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. As it moved closer towards the surface it scanned across an ancient pit and sent back images showing what would become its final resting place.

Landru79 created this spectacular GIF from images captured in 2016 on the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko by the European Space Agency lander Philae deployed by the Rosetta probe. The video is significantly sped up, compressing 25 minutes into a few seconds of intense action. — Read the rest

J. Edgar Hoover killed President Kennedy, O.J. Simpson aims to murder Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner, and JonBenet Ramsey's babysitter tells all, in this week's reality-divorced tabloids.

JonBenet's babysitter Kristine Griffin tells the 'Globe': "The parents didn't do it – but I know who did." — Read the rest

Here's the last image from Europe's space probe Rosetta, taken 50m from the surface of 67P.

In 2014, the Philae space probe left the Rosetta spacecraft and descended to the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Unfortunately, Philae missed its landing due to an anchor mishap, bounced around, and then vanished. On Sunday, just a few weeks before Rosetta's expected crash into the comet and the end of the mission, Cecilia Tubiana of the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research was scouring new images of the comet transmitted from Rosetta and noticed the dishwasher-sized probe in a crack. — Read the rest

In 1977 radio astronomers at the Big Ear space telescope, searching for signs of extraterrestrial life, came across a signal that wasn't just odd, it was unbelievably strong! The signal, broadcast at at 1420.456 MHz, radiated from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, and lasted just seventy-two seconds. — Read the rest

While we were busy enjoying the spectacular images of Pluto, ESA's Rosetta camera released this image of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko.

Astronomers tinkering with ice and organics in the lab may have discovered why comets are encased in a hard, outer crust.

Sounds kinda yummy.

Comet Lovejoy is flying through our inner solar system for the first time in more than 11,000 years.

Images from Rosetta’s OSIRIS camera over a half-hour period show Philae’s journey: it approached, then bounced, after touchdown on Comet 67P.

Human beings reached a new space exploration milestone this week: landing the Rosetta mission's Philae probe on a comet some 316 million miles from Earth.

European space agency scientists believe the Philae lander may have plopped down on its side when landing on comet 67P.

The first monochome image sent back from the space craft more than 300 million miles away from us shows the bumpy, crackled comet surface with one of Philae's three legs in the bottom left. — Read the rest

Rosetta's Plasma Consortium (RPC) has detected a mysterious 'song' that Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko is singing into space.

One theory about the history of space is that comets like this one delivered water to the planets. And therein lies one possible true hidden reason for Philae's 316-million-mile trip. To get a drink.

UPDATE: Hugs and applause in Mission Control at 11:05AM ET, the sure sign of a successful landing despite incredible odds. What an incredible day for space exploration! Nothing like this has ever been done in the history of mankind.

With a nucleus size of 3.5×4 km, 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko seems like a mere speck. But Michel (@quark1972 on Twitter) shows what the comet would look like if it were gently set down in Los Angeles. I wish the city would commission a life-size replica as public art! — Read the rest