+41 years - Kohoutek - Rosetta

[imoldernu]

Coincidentally, yesterday, I picked up the National Geographic Magazine for August 1974 at the local resale shop, for $.10.
One of the lead articles was coverage of the Comet Kohoutek viewing from March 1973. Here's the Wiki report on that:
Comet Kohoutek - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An hour ago, I tuned into the current live report of the landing of Rosetta... basic info here:

Rosetta's Philae probe successfully completes comet landing | Daily Mail Online

Nothing more to be said, except that I remember the event from 41 years ago, trying to see the comet tail, but being disappointed because of the weather.
Deja Vu... and a moment of awe.

[6miths]

I remember Kohoutek and probably still have that issue of NG. I remember as a child with a keen interest in astronomy thinking how far in the future Halley's return was in 1986 and now it is so long ago. Halley's comet was the first to be studied by spacecraft and would have been studied in greater detail if not for the loss of Challenger which carried a package for the comet and the cancellation of the subsequent launch of Columbia which also would have carried a package to study the comet. The actual comet viewing was a disappointment due to the alignment of the earth, sun and comet.

[rodi]

When I saw the title of this thread I immediately flashed back to the old "Gordo" comic strip. The protagonist had a tour van called "Halley's Comet". His business was affected when Kohoutek was approaching. At least that's my vague recollections.

[Chuckanut]

Don't forget Hale-Bopp. That comet and its tail were easily visible to the naked eye on a clear night. The information from the Philae probe will be fascinating to say the least.

[Bestwifeever]

Understatement of the decade award:

Stephan Ulamec, the Philae lander manager at ESA:
“It’s complicated to land on a comet.”

Comet lander may have bounced - CBS News

[BrianB]

14 years ago I was working for a MN company contracting with ESA in Germany. We built & supplied several hundred small film heating elements for the Rosetta. I was liaison between the US manufacturing and the German satellite assembly site. I was able to visit there, go into the clean room during the assembly phase and climb into the unfinished satellite to verify the installation. I wish I would have written my name somewhere on the frame!

It's mind-boggling to think of how far those little heaters have gone under the control of a nav system with less computing power than a smart phone!

[imoldernu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianB 14 years ago I was working for a MN company contracting with ESA in Germany. We built & supplied several hundred small film heating elements for the Rosetta. I was liaison between the US manufacturing and the German satellite assembly site. I was able to visit there, go into the clean room during the assembly phase and climb into the unfinished satellite to verify the installation. I wish I would have written my name somewhere on the frame! It's mind-boggling to think of how far those little heaters have gone under the control of a nav system with less computing power than a smart phone!

Wow! Great story. To be a part of history.