The Ice Moons of Jupiter
The European Space Agency launched Juice today 14th April 2023 The start of an 8 year journey to explore these moons of Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. Planned to arrive in July 2031 I wanted journal the moment here so that we can remember this day when the first images come back in summer 2031. Alongside the ice moons mission is my own wilding mission, using seeds from The Pretty Wild Seeds Store Dateline: 14th April 2023...
(c) ESA/CNES/Arianespace
Wild Flower Wilding
And back here on our own planet I have sown a native wild flower mix on a cleared patch of Italian rye grass. A small step for re-wilding and supporting the pollinators here on earth. The results should appear much sooner than Juice’s pictures, please check back on this magazine blog post in late July 2023. More updates will be added.
Ox-Eye Daisy, Lady's Bedstraw, Field Poppy, Corncockle, Meadow Buttercup, Cornflower, Foxglove, St John Wort,
Birdsfoot, Black Medick, Yarrow, Corn Marigold, Self Heal, Knapweed, Forget me Not, White/Red Campion, Salad Burne, Great Mullein, Ribwort Plantain, Black Medic
WILD SEEDS PRETTY 50g
Updates on the two missions
Just over 2 weeks after the sowing of the wild flower seeds, the green seedlings had begun to show through. I was surpised. The two weeks had been dry, so I had to water from a nearby stream. Please see picture below:
Monday 1st May 2023. Photo: C. Mansfield
Meanwhile in space, ‘Juice’s ice-penetrating RIME antenna has not yet been deployed as planned. During the first week of commissioning, an issue arose with the 16-metre-long Radar for Icy Moons Exploration (RIME) antenna, which is preventing it from being released from its mounting bracket.’ - message from the European Space Agency, Darmstadt
(c) ESA/Juice/JMC, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
By 7th May 2023, the separate plant forms are very clear. I decided to remove those pieces of slate which the rain had washed clean and made visible. Some germinating seedlings were starting beneath them.
45 Days into the Missions
We are now 45 days into the mission. Dateline 28th May 2023. You can see that the patch of wildflower seedlings is much denser now. The grass verge or border is giving competition, along with a new fern that has sprung up, near the stones at the back. We have had 4 dry, warm, sunny days often with a breeze, so I have had to water from the nearby stream again. You can see that the grass is enjoying the water, in my picture below. Remember, there was no grass seed in the mix from Pretty Wild Seeds:
28-May-23 ... 45 days since sowing.
28-May-2023 ... 45 days from sowing
Individual plants are beginning to stand out from the crowd on day 45, as you can see in this close-up of the detail above. In a few cases one or two of the flowers have formed more leaves at this stage, than their two embryonic leaves or cotyledons. I wish I knew what those tall plants were, the ones that are racing away, high above the others now. Please Follow and Post a Comment if you can identify any of them. Or tell me on Twitter here please
That hot, dry June of 2023
9am Monday 12th June 2023: Just a quick update on what promises to be the hottest day of the 2023 (so far). The wild patch has a bright green colour this morning. Those taller plants are growing faster now, with heights of 25 centimetres. The grasses at the edges are crowding in but many have started to produce heavy seed heads now; that is slowing their growth.
On Monday 19th June 2023, that heat wave is still in full force but we have had two showers overnight at the weekend…
Less than 4 days left in June but still no flowers. However, we have a tentative identification of the tall ones.
First Flower on Day 78
Then, on Friday, 30th June 2023, I spot the first flower at 6 o'clock in the late afternoon sunshine:
Yes, I'm pretty sure it's a Corncockle. What do you think, please?
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