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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."

3 of 115 comments (clear)

  1. Links by Mz6 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Ok... Well when I submitted this story I forgot to include links to the Stardust Website, Wild 2 Photos, and some interesting Wild 2 Stereo Photos (2.0 MB). Best of all.. there's minimal reading, just pretty pictures. Enjoy :)

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    Hmmm.
  2. Re:Gravity? by gowen · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Well, the planet Earth is an object flying in space, and yet our surface constructions seem constrained by the force of gravity.

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    Athletic Scholarships to universities make as much sense as academic scholarships to sports teams.
  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.