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Wakey! Wakey!

14 March 2015
Astronomy

Wakey! Wakey!, the catch phrase to an old TV show, resonates with the call out for the comet probe Philae to awake from its four months sleep – see http://phys.org/print345369791.html

Solar energy is required to recharge the batteries of Philae which will hopefully occur as the comet get closer to the Sun – but there is a problem. Apparently, it is not so small as I imagined, and is in fact the size of a washing machine – but where is it hiding?

It has been silent for 4 months and the probe seems to have bounced up and down on landing and is thought to have ended up at an unfortunate angle in a ditch. Its exact position has not yet been determined – which may be a problem. It may have fallen deeper into a crevice or cavity than originally supposed. Will it wake up?

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