NASA scientists seek stardust

Updated January 03, 2004 05:52:00

A NASA spacecraft called Stardust is approaching a comet on the first ever mission to collect dust particles and return them to earth.

Scientists hope it will provide new insights into how the solar system and our own planet were formed.

Comets are the leftovers from the formation of the solar system and preserved inside these freezing balls of dust and ice are tiny pristine particles that have remained virtually unchanged for billions of years.

This is the "stardust" out of which the solar system and everything in it was formed.

Scientists hope to collect some and return it to earth for analysis for the first time.

A spacecraft will fly past Comet Wild-2 later Friday, US time.

The high speed dust in a cloud around the comet will be trapped in a special gel.

That is then stored in a capsule which will parachute back to earth in two years time.

Topics: astronomy-space, united-states

First posted January 02, 2004 23:28:00