The Solar System - Word Search - PUZZLE #54 ROSETTA - August 2025

PUZZLE #54 - ROSETTA 

IN-CONTEXT WORD DEFINITIONS

Churyumov: Klim Churyumov was one of the two astronomers who discovered Comet 67P in 1969. The comet was subsequently named after him and Svetlana Gerasimenko. Rosetta's target comet was named Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, reflecting their joint discovery.

Gerasimenko: Svetlana Gerasimenko was the co-discoverer of Comet 67P along with Klim Churyumov. The European Space Agency's Rosetta mission spent ten years traveling to Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, ultimately landing on its surface.

Philae: Philae was the lander component of the Rosetta mission. It was designed to separate from the Rosetta orbiter and make the first-ever soft landing on a comet's nucleus, which it successfully did on November 12, 2014. Philae gathered crucial data on the comet's composition and surface properties before its batteries ran down and it entered hibernation.

Lander: This refers to the Philae spacecraft itself. The "lander" was a robotic probe specifically designed to touch down on the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, which it successfully accomplished.

Orbiter: This refers to the main spacecraft of the Rosetta mission. The Rosetta "orbiter" traveled for over 10 years to reach Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit a comet. It carried 11 scientific instruments to study the comet's nucleus, environment, and evolution as it journeyed around the Sun.

Rendezvous: This term describes the crucial maneuver where the Rosetta spacecraft arrived at and then entered orbit around Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. This "rendezvous" in August 2014 marked a significant milestone, allowing the spacecraft to closely study the comet over a long period.

Asteroids: While Rosetta's primary target was Comet 67P, its long journey through the Solar System involved flybys of two "asteroids," Steins and Lutetia.

Lutetia: Asteroid (21) Lutetia was the second asteroid encountered by the Rosetta spacecraft during its cruise phase, with a flyby occurring in July 2010. Observations by Rosetta's instruments revealed Lutetia to be a large, heavily cratered object, providing insights into its composition and history in the asteroid belt.

Steins: Asteroid (2867) Steins was the first asteroid encountered by the Rosetta spacecraft, with a flyby in September 2008. Rosetta's flyby of Steins revealed it to be a diamond-shaped asteroid with a high albedo and numerous craters, classifying it as a rare E-type asteroid.

Secret Word: This refers to the European Space Agency's Rosetta mission, a major scientific undertaking aimed at studying the origins of the Solar System by making a detailed study of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko and two asteroids. The mission involved a complex journey, an orbital rendezvous with the comet, and the deployment of the Philae lander.