February 22nd 06, 01:19 AM
http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/news/status/2006_aaas.html
Stardust Images from AAAS
Below are three images released on February 20, 2006 by Don Brownlee
during a Stardust briefing at the American Association for the
Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting held in St. Louis.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Washington .
[Image]
This image shows a comet particle collected by the Stardust spacecraft.
The particle is made up of the silicate mineral forsterite, also known
as peridot in its gem form. It is surrounded by a thin rim of melted
aerogel, the substance used to collect the comet dust samples. The
particle is about 2 micrometers across.
[Image]
This image shows the tracks left by two comet particles after they
impacted the Stardust spacecraft's comet dust collector. The collector
is made up of a low-density glass material called aerogel. Scientists
have begun extracting comet particles from these and other similar
tadpole-shaped tracks.
[Image]
This image illustrates one of several ways scientists have begun
extracting comet particles from the Stardust spacecraft's collector.
First, a particle and its track are cut out of the collector material,
called aerogel, in a wedge-shaped slice called a keystone. A
specialized
silicon pickle fork is then used to remove the keystone from the
remaining aerogel for further analysis.
Stardust Images from AAAS
Below are three images released on February 20, 2006 by Don Brownlee
during a Stardust briefing at the American Association for the
Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting held in St. Louis.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Washington .
[Image]
This image shows a comet particle collected by the Stardust spacecraft.
The particle is made up of the silicate mineral forsterite, also known
as peridot in its gem form. It is surrounded by a thin rim of melted
aerogel, the substance used to collect the comet dust samples. The
particle is about 2 micrometers across.
[Image]
This image shows the tracks left by two comet particles after they
impacted the Stardust spacecraft's comet dust collector. The collector
is made up of a low-density glass material called aerogel. Scientists
have begun extracting comet particles from these and other similar
tadpole-shaped tracks.
[Image]
This image illustrates one of several ways scientists have begun
extracting comet particles from the Stardust spacecraft's collector.
First, a particle and its track are cut out of the collector material,
called aerogel, in a wedge-shaped slice called a keystone. A
specialized
silicon pickle fork is then used to remove the keystone from the
remaining aerogel for further analysis.