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A Little Stardust for Us All
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Moogs
Hates the Infotainment
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: NSA Archives
 
2004-06-18, 11:37

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/18/science/18comet.html

http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/

This is WAY cool. Didn't realize the craft had already made contact with its intended target earlier this year. Guess it takes a while to get the data beamed back.

It will be sweet when the little escape pod that was jettisoned back to earth gets here. They used a little armature with a "scoop" on it to capture particles from this comet. The little particles hit the surface of something called "aerogel" which is like a [super-thin, gelatinous substance that captures and suspends high speed particles without damaging them... so basically the comet dust hits the scoop, melts the aerogel and is (I suppose within a second or two) suspended in a glass-like state for the trip home.]

...into the light of a dark black night.

Last edited by Moogs : 2004-06-18 at 11:43. Reason: Aerogel clarifications (not sure about the glass part).
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709
¡Damned!
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Purgatory
 
2004-06-18, 11:51

Quote:
"Perhaps the strangest surface structures, researchers said, were two deep depressions with flat floors and steep walls. They looked like two giant footprints. On a map of the comet, they are labeled Left Foot and Right Foot."


I knew I shouldn't have put my name on that thing...
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