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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. 

photo of Ashley Yeager

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.

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