Stardust Captures the Best Comet Image Ever

(Space.com) -
Whole Story - Genesis Crash Inquiry Helps Stardust Return

Back in 2004, when NASA’s Genesis return sample capsule tumbled from the sky and slammed into the Utah desert, scientists quite literally had to pick up the pieces of the mission.

Delicate wafers holding precious samples of atoms and ions from puffs of solar wind that Genesis accumulated while lingering at Lagrange Point 1—an area in space between Earth and the Sun—were shattered to bits.

Since the crash landing, researchers have been hard at work pulling science data from the fragments—but it’s a far tougher task than originally planned when the $260 million Genesis mission lifted off in August of 2001.

(Space.com)
Whole Story - NASA Probe to Light the Skies on Jan. 15 Re-entry

When the Stardust sample return capsule nose dives back to Earth in January, it will become the fastest human-made object to streak through the atmosphere. Scientists and engineers are at the ready to observe the spectacular sky show—and savvy skywatchers can join in on the aerial action too.

If all goes to plan, Stardust will release its sample return capsule carrying comet and interstellar dust particles on Jan. 15 at 12:57 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). Four hours later, the capsule will enter Earth's atmosphere, zooming toward Utah and a parachute landing at roughly 5:12 a.m. EST.

During its plummet into Utah, the heat-thwarting capsule will skyrocket across the Western United States [map].

According to Stardust officials, the fireball should be visible from San Francisco perhaps up to and beyond Portland, shooting over Nevada toward its Utah landing. The artificial meteor is expected to peak in brightness as it penetrates deeper in the Earth's atmosphere, lighting up to roughly the brilliance of Venus for about 90 seconds. That brightness is expected to peak over Carlin, Nevada.

So 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. The closer you live to the trajectory, which runs from Crescent City, California and then through Winnemucca and Elko Nevada, and finally to Western Utah, the higher the fireworks in the early morning sky will be.

Put Your Name On The DAWN Spacecraft.

---

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible". Hebrews 11.3

Where is STARDUST Right Now?

STARDUST Mission Photos

Where is COMET WILD 2 Right Now? (The comet STARDUST went to)

---

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible". Hebrews 11.3

Distributed Computing to get "interstellar project"

I worte this article on Stardust@home

---

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible". Hebrews 11.3

Distributed Computing gets "interstellar project" UPDATE

I added more to the story...really quite interesting...check the sources for more info on this project and related news.

---

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible". Hebrews 11.3

Further info about Stardust@Home can be found in 2 publications from the 36th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference hold in Texas between 14-18 March 2005

STARDUST@HOME: A MASSIVELY DISTRIBUTED PUBLIC SEARCH FOR INTERSTELLAR DUST IN THE STARDUST INTERSTELLAR DUST COLLECTOR.

This article is part of a full article (2.3MB!) STARDUST MISSION: AEROGEL EXTRACTION AND INSTRUMENTATION
at ftp://www.lpi.usra.edu/pub/outgoing/lpsc2005/full22.pdf

BTW, you folks in Northern California, Extreme Southern Oregon, Northwestern Utah and most of if not all of Northern Nevada, at around 5am EASTERN, weather permitting in these areas, you can watch the capsule come in. It will look like a shooting star :)

Path of Stardust, where you can watch it land

---

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible". Hebrews 11.3

BTW, you folks in Northern California, Extreme Southern Oregon, Northwestern Utah and most of if not all of Northern Nevada, at around 5am EASTERN, weather permitting in these areas, you can watch the capsule come in. It will look like a shooting star :)

Path of Stardust, where you can watch it land

It's raining here. Won't be able to see it :<

---

TEAM
LL

Stardust lands in Utah successfully.

---

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible". Hebrews 11.3

Stardust comet samples "visible to the naked eye"

---

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible". Hebrews 11.3

I wonder if they will still do stardust@home then.

---

TEAM
LL

Scientists open Stardust capsule

there were "more than a million" specks of material in the capsule's sample-return canister.

Now that's a lot of names to put as coauthors on a paper. I'm guessing that stardust@home has come to an end, seeing how 1000000 pieces of dust is a bit above and easier to find than the predicted 45. LOL. It doesn't seem like space would be that empty. Sounds like they might still let people view it from their computers, which will be cool.

---

TEAM
LL

Stardust@home IS going to take place. I am working on an article at this moment on the project with an Exclusiver from David Anderson, SETI@home director. Why him? He is one of the main creators of the VM (Virtual Microscope) that is gonig to be used to look at the particles. Now most of the particles are too small to see by the naked eye. Thats where the millinos comes in. The 45 particles are the ones that ARE visible to the naked eye and are the ones we will be looking for using the VM. The article with David's interview was gonig to be published yesterday, however, NASA has postponed a press briefing on Stardust. The briefing has not been rescheduled as of yet. It is unknown if the Stardust project and the Stardust@home project will be delayed as well.
NASA Postpones Stardust Mission Briefing

But when I get more info from David on the delay, if he has any, then the article will be published.

---

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible". Hebrews 11.3

Exclusive: David Anderson talks about the Stardust@home project

---

"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible". Hebrews 11.3

Anyone heard from Stardust@home as a potential participant? They were going to start March 1 but it got pushed back to April 5. I think I might have deleted an email from them.

---

TEAM
LL

Anyone heard from Stardust@home as a potential participant?

Not yet...

bump

---

BOINC Wiki . . .

Science Status Page . . .

Only Five More Days for Your Name to Rise With the Dawn

For those who submitted their names like I did. :)

NASA's campaign to send the nom de plumes of people from around the world into the heart of the asteroid belt ends Sat., Nov. 4.

Submitted names will be carried on board NASA's Dawn, the first spacecraft to travel between and scrutinize two distinct worlds. Mission scientists are confident Dawn observations of asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres will answer basic questions about the nature and composition of these celestial wanderers.

My name in digital format will be one of the first visitors to the new dwarf planet Ceres!

---

TEAM
LL

http://www.dawn-mission.org/DawnCommunity/Sendname2asteroid/nameEntry.asp

---