The craft has been racing through space for five years to get itself into a position on Friday where it will be within 300 km of the "dirty ice-ball".
Stardust will photograph the object and grab particles streaming away from its nucleus for return to Earth in 2006.
Scientists believe the samples will reveal a great deal not only about the construction of comets but also about the early history of the Solar System.
.....
Dr Neil McBride explained the ultimate aim: "We're attempting to collect small cometary dust particles from the coma, from near the nucleus, and bringing them back to Earth.
"This is done with a sensor, which is made of aerogel - a very low density glass.
"As a cometary particle impacts into it, it gets slowed down and held in the aerogel."
.....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3361119.stm
How hard could this be to construct at home if you had the right tools? (Scott Adams)
Science is so much more interesting than ignorance don't you think?
Stardust will photograph the object and grab particles streaming away from its nucleus for return to Earth in 2006.
Scientists believe the samples will reveal a great deal not only about the construction of comets but also about the early history of the Solar System.
.....
Dr Neil McBride explained the ultimate aim: "We're attempting to collect small cometary dust particles from the coma, from near the nucleus, and bringing them back to Earth.
"This is done with a sensor, which is made of aerogel - a very low density glass.
"As a cometary particle impacts into it, it gets slowed down and held in the aerogel."
.....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3361119.stm
How hard could this be to construct at home if you had the right tools? (Scott Adams)
Science is so much more interesting than ignorance don't you think?
