vincent Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 Yes folks, last July we got to see Deep impact plummet straight into a comet, this year we will be able to see the result of another comet mission that took place before Deep impact. :) Yes, i'm talking about the "stardust" probe which flew by a comet and captured dust particles from the tail, and now it's gonna release that capusle containing those particles and re-enter earth's atmosphere just as it was designed to do, man i love science! :happy: It's slated for re-entry on January 15th and will be landing in the Utah Desert, making it's way across the western United States. If you live in Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Northern Nevada, Southern Idaho or Western Utah you should be able to see some part of Stardust sky show. source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ph3412t3h13 Posted December 28, 2005 Share Posted December 28, 2005 so its like a big dust cloud moving across the states? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vincent Posted December 28, 2005 Author Share Posted December 28, 2005 so its like a big dust cloud moving across the states? Uhm no, if you read the article you'd know its a capsule that was on the probe. The capsule is gonna be released by the probe on the 15th of January. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hum Posted January 10, 2006 Share Posted January 10, 2006 LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- When a NASA capsule hauling comet and interstellar dust plummets through the Earth's atmosphere this weekend, residents in large sweeps of the West will witness a cosmic spectacle. During the Stardust capsule's blazing re-entry at 1:57 a.m. PST Sunday, it will travel at 29,000 mph, making it the fastest man-made object to return to Earth. The 100-pound cargo will arc over Northern California toward Utah's Dugway Proving Ground, a remote Army base southwest of Salt Lake City. Residents in parts of Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Utah should see the Stardust capsule as it streaks across the pre-dawn sky. Prime viewing will be along Nevada's Interstate 80 where residents can view the capsule's front. The capsule's glow is expected to shine as bright as Venus for 90 seconds. It will appear brightest over Carlin, a small mining city in northeast Nevada. The capsule will likely appear as a bright pink dot to the naked eye. In certain places, those with telescopes may see the capsule pass in front of the moon, appearing as a tiny dot trailed by a dark wave of hot air and debris from its heat shield. During the capsule's descent, a team of scientists aboard a NASA DC-8 aircraft will track it and measure its brightness. Part of their mission: Determine how well the capsule's heat shield performed during the plunge. The capsule's heat shield is among several protective material being considered by NASA for its new crew exploration vehicle, which is intended to replace the space shuttle. After landing, the capsule will be shipped to the Johnson Space Center in Houston where scientists will pry it open and study the microscopic cometary and interstellar samples inside for clues to how the solar system formed. source Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamz Veteran Posted January 10, 2006 Veteran Share Posted January 10, 2006 sounds cool. :) threads merged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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