The Experts’ View
Assuming the landing area is at the ‘nominal surface level’ and the atmospheric factors are the average of the range predicted then Huygens should touch down at 11:26:30 GMT. But with all these factors, the scientists predict the land time could be as much as 15 minutes early or 16 minutes late. So there’s plenty of scope for you to use your judgement to predict the landing time, but to give you some ideas, here are the entries that some of the team members have already made:
Project Manager, Mark says "I think the atmosphere is going to be slightly denser than we originally thought, and the parachutes should work better than planned in these conditions, plus I’m guessing that we’ll land a little below the ’nominal surface level’, so I’m going for a land time of 11:27:38"
Axel, Project Engineer, has decided that "I suspect the probe will land on a high mountain, plus I’m guessing there could be parachute problems, so I’ll go for 11:21:07"
Whereas the team’s Project Scientist, Manish, is going for "I’m feeling lucky, so ’my finger in the air’ method tells me to go for 11:31:30"
So, it looks like even the experts don’t agree. What time did you choose?
Watch Stardate this Friday evening at 11.30 on BBC TWO to find out the actual time of landing - and to see the name of the winner of our great prize!
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