What the Duck?

[changeling67]

(Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk - Accessed 06/08/14)

The Rosetta probe and Comet 67P are back in the news.  The probe is set to rendezvous within 100km (62 miles) of the comet around about Wednesday and will perform a triangular movement around the object, whilst it is hurtling through space at a nifty 55.000km per hour (34,000 mph).  It will collect information, before jettisoning a fridge-sized lander named Philae, thus heralding scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA) as "the sexiest, most fantastic mission possible" (Source -http://www.bbc.co.uk/ - Accessed 06/08/14).

Sorry ESA - whereas I see all of the metaphors lined up to give the 'excitable' attributes, it is clearly the wrong adjective.  I am all for finding out the building blocks of life etc, but let's face it - it is a giant techno dragonfly trying to mount a space duck.  Fascinating it is - sexy it is not. Or is that how technerds get their rocks off - by harpooning a comet?

I can hear the Gunther Ding Dong Song song as I type...

Full Duck and video  ------------------------------------> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-28659783

Comments

[bluegerl.livejournal.com]

Still, it might be nice to know what that comet is made of. And little fleas have lesser fleas upon their backs to... ???

[calico-pye.livejournal.com]

I am very interested as to the components - some of the theories as to why the dinosaurs had been wiped out, was possibly down to a comet. Many dinosaurs evolved to be birds eventually and was possibly the trigger for the evolvement of modern man :-)

[bluegerl.livejournal.com]

I'm ploughing my way through Genes and stuff with Dawkins.. and I hear they've found a very small feathered dinosaur in venezuela today. A dead one, I mean, fossilized - teehee.

But the flying ones apparently, some did escape the destruction.

Still, I wonder if it will light up our sky like Halley or the Hale-Bopp... weren't we lucky seeing both those!!!! Halley wont be back for another 68 years or so and Hale-Bopp for 4120 or something!

Tis all fearfully exciting. Someone was asking or talking last night about... are we in one of many many UNIVERSES... oh my god, it's crowded out there!

[calico-pye.livejournal.com]

The Hale-Bopp was very impressive - a friend of mine managed to take a photo of it; a prominent view of our nearest engine house with Bopp behind it, against a blue night sky. Stunning :-)