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Wild 2 Comet Analyzed

Posted by michael on from the vilt-thing-you-make-my-heart-sing dept.

Mz6 writes "Back in January Slashdot reported about the Stardust probe and its capture of particles from the tail of Wild 2 (pronounced 'Vilt 2'). You might also remember about how it snapped 72 images of the comet and sent them back to JPL. Well, after a detailed analysis of the comet Wild 2 and building upon preliminary analysis in March, it has left astronomers at JPL astounded at an object that has no known peers in the solar system. The comet has towering protrusions and steep-walled craters that seem to defy gravity, more than a dozen jets of material shoot out from its insides, dust swirls around the comet in unexpectedly dense pockets, and boasts 2 large 'footprints', aptly named Left and Right."

4 of 115 comments (clear)

  1. Gravity? by digidave · · Score: 4, Funny

    The comet has towering protrusions and steep-walled craters that seem to defy gravity

    Really? On an object flying in space? Whodathunkit?

    --
    The global economy is a great thing until you feel it locally.
  2. Wow! by Insomnia · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...you mean that stupid, stupid movie (Armageddon) actually might have had the look of a comet right? Who'd have thought.

    --I no longer spellcheck - it cost me 5 points. ;)

  3. I'm much more interested in the analysis ... by burgburgburg · · Score: 5, Funny
    of the Girls Gone Wild 2 comet.

    Much hotter then other space bodies, that much is known.

  4. Even Funnier by virg_mattes · · Score: 4, Funny

    > you mean that stupid, stupid movie (Armageddon) actually might have had the look of a comet right?

    Well, this is made even funnier by the idea that Armageddon was a movie about a meteor, not a comet. Carry on.

    Virg