The Stardust spacecraft was the first mission to return cometary material to Earth. It reached Comet Wild 2 in 2004, collected particles as they became embedded in aerogel, a special substance sometimes described as "solid smoke", and sent the protective canister back down to Earth. Then, it went on its way to study another comet--Tempel 1. A hard-working machine! Stardust made the cut as one of the top fifty greatest moments of Solar System exploration, voted on by visitors to NASA's Solar System Exploration section.
More information:
http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/index.html
About Comet Wild 2:
http://www.cometography.com/pcomets/081p.html
Stardust
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Christopher K.
- Posts: 4412
- Joined: October 12th, 2009, 3:28 pm
- Location: Baton Rouge, LA
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Christopher K.
- Posts: 4412
- Joined: October 12th, 2009, 3:28 pm
- Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Re: Stardust
Comets are a extra layer of thrill superimposed onto the base thrill of skygazing. Do you have the ability to search for new comets, and/or assist in determining the orbits of known comets? Steven Tilley, current President of BRAS, will present basic information on this subdivision on amateur astronomy in a presentation at HRPO on Monday 8 October at 7pm. The talk has no admission fee and is aimed at a general adult audience.