e-Claire

The Vilt, Vilt Vest - 2

And not just to annoy Jay . . . Here's another incredibly cool shot: Comet Wild 2 is shown in this image taken by the Stardust navigation camera during the spacecraft's closest approach to the comet today. The photo was taken within a distance of 500 kilometers (about 311 miles) of the comet's nucleus with a 10-millisecond exposure. Credit: NASA/JPL Think this through: These geniuses [≠ sarcasm] shot a tiny spacecraft a distance of 1.25 billion miles, completing 1.5 orbits around the Sun, to a place 2.72 AU [Astronomical Units, or the mean distance from the Sun to Earth] from Earth and hit, exactly, the tail of this comet. Came within 150 miles of the solid bits of the comet. Keeping in mind that all the bodies in question were [are] moving in different directions at the time, I'd say that's rather an accomplishment, eh? Then, just for a chaser, they're bringing the physical samples taken from the tail of this comet all the way back and deliver them to the Utah Testing and Training Ground where they will be distributed to scientists all round the world. More

1. I have to admit I made a mistake as marking NASA as a waste.  These last few days are history making, with no loss of life!  Plus, the information gleaned can be used in so many areas.  Honor is due.

   Posted by Jay  on  01/05/04  at  11:47 AM

2. I was trying to impress that same point on my kids last night but using Spirit as the example. Being math-challenged since day one it never ceases to amaze me how NASA/JPL and the lot make such awe-inspiring feats look, dare I say, easy.
   PC

   Posted by  on  01/06/04  at  05:43 AM

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