What Will we Learn?

Now that the European Space Agency has chosen the name Agilkia (pronounced ah-ZHEEL-kia) for the next week’s landing spot on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, our attention turns to the science that will be done by the Philae lander. What will we learn as this tiny probe settles down onto the icy surface of the comet?

Its stated goals are simply to transmit information about the surface, using data gathered by ten different scientific instruments. At the end of the lander’s mission (which could last several months), astronomers will have the most complete understanding of a comet’s nucleus to date.

Among other things, the lander will provide data that will reveal the age of the comet’s nucleus, what it’s made of, the mix of elements and compounds throughout the comet, the comet’s internal structure, and its interaction with the solar wind from the viewpoint of the surface.

Since we already know that comets are among the oldest objects in the solar system, this data will be like looking at conditions in the solar nebula before and during the Sun and planets were forming. Think of it as a window to the past, when all the building blocks of our solar system were finally falling into place.

Philae is an ambitiously packed little lander, with instruments from researchers and institutions around the world. Let’s take a closer look.

Continue reading Landing on a Comet →

Stargazing this Month

While it’s not yet officially winter for those of us in the northern hemisphere and a few weeks from high summer for southern hemisphere observers, there are some objects in the sky that we can share together. I’m talking about planets and star clusters and the Leonid Meteor shower.  The shower itself runs much of the month, but peaks on the night of the 17th into the 18th. Luckily the Moon doesn’t interfere, so you might have a chance to see some meteors — if the weather is good!

It’s all outlined in this month’s Our Night Sky episode at Astrocast.TV. Check it out below and happy stargazing!