A Massive Comet Lands in Brooklyn (Well, Sorta)

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By Ashley Codianni2014-05-29 14:13:10 UTC

After long days and late nights of hammering, molding and piecing together a massive comet in Brooklyn Bridge Park, designers and architects put the finishing touches on a 9-foot high, 12-foot long model of the very real 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet (C-G Comet) that will soon race by the sun.

See also: 8 Astronomy Apps for Stargazers

The International Rosetta Mission and the European Space Agency have been following the C-G comet's journey through space for the past 10 years. After a decade-long chase, the Rosetta satellite is finally landing on the mysterious comet, which is 9 miles high and 12 miles long, in August.

Scientists hope data from the satellite will reveal the true anatomy and atmospheric tendencies of comet life and perhaps even the origins of water on Earth.

The installation, which overlooks Manhattan's East River, was created by architect Jason Klimoski of StudioKCA and designers David Delgado and Dan Goods of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Building this massive installation to mimic the atmospheric life didn't come without its challenges, however. Combining water, electricity, water, steel of a comet took planning and precise execution.

Scaled to a smaller 9-by-12 size, every design element of the installation, down to the tiniest detail, is meant to replicate space.

A fine mist exudes from the installation to act as the comet's a tail, which forms when the icy ball approaches the sun and heats water from solid gas. The model comet also sits in a reflection pool, which helps not only shape the comet's tail but also supports the theory that comets like C-G brought water to a newborn Earth. With the completion of the Rosetta Mission, researchers will know soon enough if the comet-delivered water and ocean theory is correct.

But until then, there's a massive replica of Comet C-G illuminating the World Science Festival, and you should go see it.

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Topics: architecture, design, #endmalaria, NASA, Space, U.S., US & World