Our species took its first steps in a world covered in trees. Today, forests offer us sustenance, shelter, and clean the air that we breathe.
The story of Rosetta and Philae: landed on a faraway comet
On 12th November 2014, after ten years departing the Earth, the lander Philae, which accompanied the Rosetta spacecraft, landed on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/C-G) 510 million kilometres away from our Planet. It’s the first time that men achieve in sending something on a comet surface. The landing lasted about seven hours. But Rosetta’s and Philae’s trip has
On 12th November 2014, after ten years departing the Earth, the lander Philae, which accompanied the Rosetta spacecraft, landed on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P/C-G) 510 million kilometres away from our Planet. It’s the first time that men achieve in sending something on a comet surface. The landing lasted about seven hours. But Rosetta’s and Philae’s trip has been long and complicated. Very long: billions of kilometres.
Due to the comet’s shape, the mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) was more complicated than the scientists expected: that’s why the Rosetta spacecraft had to move around the 67P/C-G before landing. We don’t know yet if Philae will have an easy time on the winding surface of the comet with its craters, cliffs and boulders the size of houses, but for ESA this is a great success because the lander provides useful information on the elemental composition of the comet’s surface.
The Rosetta spacecraft was named by European scientists after the Rosetta stone: scientists trusts that as the latter allowed archaeologists to translate hieroglyphics from Greek, so the spacecraft can contribute to better understand how planets and our solar system form. In the video (above), an explanation for children (but even adults) of the history of Rosetta and Philae made by ESA to better understand the mission’s purpose.
Siamo anche su WhatsApp. Segui il canale ufficiale LifeGate per restare aggiornata, aggiornato sulle ultime notizie e sulle nostre attività.
Quest'opera è distribuita con Licenza Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Non opere derivate 4.0 Internazionale.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Earth Overshoot Day 2020 falls on 22 August, over three weeks later than in 2019. A blessing in disguise?
Refusing the anthropocentric vision and respecting the laws of ecology is the only way to safeguard the future of our and all other species, Sea Shepherd President Paul Watson argues in this op-ed.
The 2019 edition of International Mountain Day is “Mountains matter for youth”, highlighting the need to bring young people back to highland areas to take care of their cultural and natural resources.
Overshoot Day marks the point when humanity has used up the Earth’s resources for a year. And the date comes earlier and earlier every year.
The photographic project Daily Overview shows the majestic beauty of nature and the invasive presence of humans, with the aim to inspire awe and encourage us to protect the Planet of which we’re guests. We talk to its creator, Benjamin Grant.
The word biodiversity recalls lush forests inhabited by countless animal and plant species. Life, thanks to its blind determination, blossoms in a myriad of stunning environments: from deserts and volcanoes to mountains covered up by perennial ice. The most extreme and inhospitable ecosystems can host animals and plants that adapted in the name of survival.
This year’s edition of World Water Day is dedicated to leaving no one behind in achieving SDG 6, which aims to ensure access to clean water and sanitation for all.
In the Malaysian state of Sabah there are no Sumatran rhinos left in the wild, Environment Minister says.