[Printer Friendly Version]   [How to E-mail This Article to A Friend]

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2: Faster Than A Speeding Bullet

Almost two years ago, the Stardust probe encountered a comet. It took pictures, collected data, and collected samples from the comet’s tail. Now Stardust is on its way back home after a 2.9 billion mile trip. The capsule full of comet samples is expected to land in Utah in two weeks.

When Stardust sent pictures of the comet’s landscape back to Earth, they proved that a comet looks nothing like other planetary bodies. Now scientists are excited to retrieve the capsule, which could contain particles older than our solar system. They captured the comet dust in aerogel and have waited two years to discover exactly what materials make a comet.

The Stardust capsule only weighs 101 pounds. It will enter the Earth’s atmosphere at 8 miles per second, which is 10 times faster than a speeding bullet. NASA is setting a world record with the Stardust capsule because 8 miles/second is the fastest a human-made object has traveled through our atmosphere. The capsule will land at about 3:12AM local time, which provides for an excellent view in the Western U.S. Scientists expect the capsule to shine as brightly as Venus in the morning sky.

--Written by Katheryn Troyer

Write your own story telling us what you think about this article!

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 1: Pika Species