Science Ticker Planetary Science

Spot on comet chosen for Rosetta mission lander

Philae landing site J on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko

Site J, denoted by the plus sign, marks the spot on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko where Rosetta's lander Philae will attempt to touch down in November 2014.

Rosetta/ESA

By Ashley Yeager

Philae, the Rosetta mission lander, will attempt to touch down on a spot called site J on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The site selection was announced September 15 during a press briefing in Paris. Site J is on the smaller lobe of the comet, which is shaped like a rubber duck. Philae is slated to land on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on November 11. 

About Ashley Yeager

Ashley Yeager is the associate news editor at Science News. She has worked at The Scientist, the Simons Foundation, Duke University and the W.M. Keck Observatory, and was the web producer for Science News from 2013 to 2015. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a master’s degree in science writing from MIT.

More Stories from Science News on Planetary Science

  1. Planetary Science

    Check out some of the weird rocks that have turned up on Mars

    By Lisa Grossman
  2. Space

    The nearest single star to Earth has four small planets

    By Lisa Grossman
  3. Chemistry

    A new iron compound hints ‘primordial’ helium hides in Earth’s core

    By Skyler Ware
  4. Planetary Science

    Uranus emits more heat than previously thought

    By Ken Croswell
  5. Planetary Science

    Juno reveals dozens of lava lakes on Jupiter’s moon Io

    By Katherine Kornei
  6. Planetary Science

    A private mission to Venus aims to look for signs of life

    By Lisa Grossman
  7. Planetary Science

    Ancient Mars wasn’t just wet. It was cold and wet

    By Skyler Ware
  8. Physics

    A weird ice that may form on alien planets has finally been observed

    By Nikk Ogasa