Figure 15-28: R I V U X G
Comet Wild 2 (a) This picture shows two images combined. The inner portion is a high-resolution photograph showing the surprisingly heavily cratered comet. The bright outer portion shows gas and dust jetting away from the comet. Its tails are millions of kilometers long. (b) A substance called aerogel was used to capture particles from Comet Wild 2’s dust tail. A piece of space debris pierced the aluminum foil holding the aerogel and embedded in it, along with pieces of the foil. (c) A 2-μm piece of comet dust, composed of a mineral called forsterite. On Earth this mineral is used to make gems called peridot.
Comet Wild 2 (a) This picture shows two images combined. The inner portion is a high-resolution photograph showing the surprisingly heavily cratered comet. The bright outer portion shows gas and dust jetting away from the comet. Its tails are millions of kilometers long. (b) A substance called aerogel was used to capture particles from Comet Wild 2’s dust tail. A piece of space debris pierced the aluminum foil holding the aerogel and embedded in it, along with pieces of the foil. (c) A 2-μm piece of comet dust, composed of a mineral called forsterite. On Earth this mineral is used to make gems called peridot.
(a: NASA/JPL; b: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD; c: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Washington.)