Dealing with life's bullshit since 1982.

photos by julie fletcher from lake eyre, a remote salt flat in the south of australia; the usually dried out lake is more than one hundred kilometres from a tiny mining town, which can be seen as a yellow light on the horizon in the second and fourth photos. 

Comet Lander Deploys Drill, But Could Lose Power Tonight

“Philae, the lander that’s currently on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, may not be able to perform its extended mission, as scientists at the European Space Agency worry its position on the comet won’t let it recharge its batteries. The ESA says it may not be able to contact the craft after Friday night.

Worries over the robotic lander’s power supply prompted engineers to take the risky step of activating its drill, an operation that had been shelved out of fears that it would sap the remaining charge.

"The drill has been active already today. Whether it will actually take samples and will succeed in bringing these samples to ovens… we shall know this evening," lander manager Stefan Ulamec said in an update Friday.”

Carl Sagan on astrology in newspapers.  From his interview with Ted Turner.