10 Incredible Facts About The Philae Comet Landing

7. There Were 8,000 Potential Names For The Landing Site

Because the comet landing is such a historic moment in human history, the European Space Agency asked people to send in their ideas for naming the landing site itself. Over 8,000 entries were sent in from around the world, in multiple different languages. Eventually, the name chosen was "Agilkia." This is an Egyptian name taken from an island that hosts the Temple of Isis, along with other buildings that were once on the island of Philae (the name of the lander.) The original Philae buildings were moved over to Agilkia due to flooding. The ESA claim that over 150 people voted for Agilkia, and it's easy to see why they went for it after hearing the name's perfectly suited back-story.