Is that a Comet? No, it’s a scrunched up piece of paper with pins in it!
On Tuesday 19th April, the 15 Elite Scientists went to visit Professor Monica Grady and her team at The Open University, Dept. Of Physical Sciences.
Their day started with the Elite Scientists giving a talk on their meteor project to a room full of academics from within Monica’s Team.
The researchers ranged from those studying Mars, The Moon, comets, asteroids and meteorites. After the talk, Monica facilitated a scientific discussion with the students on the project since October. The students then talked through their poster over drinks. Throughout the day students built a structure that looked like a roller-coaster, but was in fact the pathway of a particle.
They also had a tour of the labs, and one of the scientists allowed the students to look through a special telescope at the Sun, where they saw solar storms!
The thing that struck me the most was the scrunched up paper model of the Comet 67P. This model was strategic in planning the landing sites of Philae, hence the pins. It was a wonderful day, and a real privilege to meet the team behind the lander.
P.S. The yellow landing lights in our group picture is an installation art piece that was placed outside the department to beckon the aliens to land!
Teacher of Science
Leader of Elite Scientists