As the probe's last science data was relayed to Earth Nov. 15, its power rapidly depleted.

The lander lost contact with ground controllers early this morning, but not before they sent commands to rotate the probe's solar panels to glean additional sunlight.

With the clock ticking, mission managers weigh a plan to shift Philae's position and gain more exposure to the sun.

"Figuring out where high energy neutrinos come from is one of the biggest problems in astrophysics today," said Yang Bai, University of Wisconsin at Madison physicist.

Europe's Philae robotic probe touched down on the dusty surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on Nov. 12, marking a historic achievement in planetary exploration.

An illustrated guide to Philae's deployment and landing on Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, with the proble's thrusters, landing gear, harpoons and science instruments demystified.