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How Big is Comet 67P? Here are the Nerdiest Comparisons

We should steer that comet into a Borg cube.

You may have heard that this morning humanity made history — we successfully landed a spacecraft on the surface of a speeding comet. The Rosetta mission to Comet 67P has been ongoing for the last decade, slingshotting around planets and carefully lining up the craft with the comet, both of which are moving many miles per second. And now, the lander has launched and humanity is on a comet. Though not everything went according to plan, Rosetta’s lander, Philae, has been transmitting data since its landing. Hopefully, we will soon learn enough about the composition of the comet using Philae’s on-board instruments to uncover facts about the formation of the solar system.

The whole mission — no matter if the landing didn’t go as smoothly as hoped — is a resounding success and an incredible feat for a species of hairless ape on some pale blue dot. But even though we are getting back gorgeous views of Comet 67P’s surface, it’s hard to visualize just how big the comet is. Luckily, nerds have stepped in to help.

Here are the nerdiest size comparisons for Comet 67P orbiting the web, starting with the work of high school physics teacher Christopher Becke. Comet 67P could definitely take out a Borg Cube:

111214_67PSize_BorgCube

But it might not even dent the Death Star:

111214_67PSize_DeathStar

Although, going with the Star Wars theme, a space worm might find a decent home inside 67P:

111214_67PSize_SpaceWorm

Though most of our science fiction starships are tiny by comparison:

111214_67PSize_Starship

Not even Battlestar Galactica is that big:

111214_67PSize_BSG

And any monster, building, or our own spacecraft could easily fit on 67P:

111214_67PSize_Monster

Even The Washington Post couldn’t help itself:

111214_67PSize_WaPo

You can see the full (and very informative) infographic from the WaPo here.

Of course, this isn’t the nerdiest size comparison chart known to man (this is), but it’s a great way to use objects burned into our brains by fandom as signposts for thinking about real celestial bodies. For more information on the Rosetta mission, check out today’s Nerdist News!

 

Know of any more nerdy comparisons? Let me know in the comments below or hit me up in the drift, @Sci_Phile.

IMAGES:
Comet —ESA
Spacecraft — Merzo.net
Comparisons — Christopher Becke; Bonnie Berkowitz, Patterson Clark and Richard Johnson/The Washington Post

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Comments

  1. Tami says:

    Love this, thank you so much.

  2. Billy says:

    I love this post! Thanks Nerdist for this. I want this for the bellwether for all things large. Comparisons to our beloved sci-fi ships. #spacerocks 

  3. Pauch says:

    That Godzilla is NOT to scale

    • Podus says:

      That Godzilla could easily be to scale. Like some other monsters there are many “versions” of Godzilla and the original japanese godzila it’s not that big as the last movie superlizzard

  4. Bob says:

    Ah no… the Borg could and would easily tractor beam the comet and they could do wat ever they wanted with it.

  5. rickyintampa says:

    This comet is about the same size as The Doomsday Machine, actually.

  6. Stephen Wile says:

    What about Babylon5 ??? 

  7. JJ says:

    WHAT F’ing CRAP .. some ppl just write for the F’ing heck of it and this article is one of those F’ing ones. 

  8. Captain Mcgloo says:

    I only measure outer space objects in relative terms to Texas.  Can you give me an approximation of how many Texas’ is it?

  9. liam schewitz says:

    What a load of bullshit 

  10. I wonder how the GTVA Colossus compares. It’s 6,166 meters in length.

  11. What about in comparison to a Super Star Destroyer?  This just reinforces the point that the Empire’s Fleet can not only easily destroy asteroids but can kick Star Fleets ass!

    • You are wrong says:

      Not really. Size is not what makes something better. Star wars ships do not even have deflector shields which already puts them  a huge disadvantage. Not to mention that there is zero science present in star wars. At least star trek attempts to integrate science into their plots. Star wars may as well be a fantasy story because it sure as shit is not science fiction. 

    • Sean Libecco says:

      Considering  that the Empire fleet has no shields and only puny lazers for weapons they wouldn’t have a prayer against Starfleet!

  12. Hopefully someone won’t try and slam it into the earth. EX. Char’s Counterattack,  Gundam.

  13. Funkydr says:

    Where’s the star destroyer or milennium falcon?

  14. A says:

    HALO?????

  15. Sonny says:

    I wonder how big it is against the first deathstar which is smaller as I recall.

  16. Erik says:

    C’mon, nothing for us “Space: 1999” fans?!?

  17. danielgzzc says:

    Now that’s a Chief Scientific Officer.

    Nicely done! 

  18. xero says:

    well i think we have found mining satellite LO2