Russian Astrologer Sues NASA for Comet Crash

Writer Marina Bay claims that by slamming the probe into the comet, Nasa endangered the future of civilisation.

"Nobody has yet proven that this experiment was safe," says Ms Bay's lawyer Alexander Molokhov.

"This impact could have altered the orbit of the comet, so now there is a chance that the Tempel may well destroy the Earth some day!"

...

An amateur astrologist, she believes that any variation in the orbit or the composition of the Tempel comet will certainly affect her own fate.

So Ms Marina's claims to be experiencing "a moral trauma" - which only a payment of $300m (252m euros; £170m) can put right.

This is roughly what Nasa has spent on the experiment so far.

...

"The impact changed the magnetic properties of the comet, and this could have affected mobile telephony here on Earth. If your phone went down this morning, ask yourself Why? and then get in touch with us," says Mr Molokhov.

(BBC)

The comet was roughly half the size of Manhattan. The impactor was the size of a washing machine. Tell me, do YOU think it makes a fucking difference? Plus, "magnetic properties of the comet"?! If they'd found it had a magnetic field you can bet your sweet ass it would've been on the front page of the Times. Magnetic field requires either moving charges, which won't happen in a solid body such as a comet core, or magnetic materials all aligned together, which won't happen in a mostly icy body such as a comet core.

NASA's Moscow officials have wisely boycotted the courtroom, which unfortunately for the magistrate means that he's going to have to come to a decision without them.