Wild 2 Comet Analyzed 115
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."
What's it made of? (Score:5, Interesting)
Craters and spires (Score:3, Interesting)
The pictures are quite amazing. It is very puzzling why so small an icy body can have flattened crater floors. It does not take much gravity to
allow warmed ice to viscuoously relax apparently.
When I look at the images of those amazing spires
on the comet limb. I can't help but think about
the descriptions of Comet Haley's surface in
Arthur C. Clarke's 2061. That guy has spooky prescience.
Film Festival Time! (Score:3, Interesting)
Time to start "Andromeda Strain" midnight showings in local theaters!
(Give me back my Sterno, you crybaby!)