To tour the Orbit, visitors gather under its base, a red fibreglass canopy that resembles the mouth of a gigantic red trombone.

BBC: Orbiting views of Olympic London

That is because the two smaller stars orbit each other in 0.9 days, whereas the expected period of oscillations from the red giant's rumblings is almost exactly half that.

BBC: Kepler star trio find is mystery to astroseismologists

The Phobos-Grunt spacecraft was put in orbit on Wednesday, but failed to fire the engine that was designed to take it on to the Red Planet.

BBC: Stricken Mars probe stays silent