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Re: Extra-solar material - comets
- To: meteorite-list@meteoritecentral.com
- Subject: Re: Extra-solar material - comets
- From: Ron Baalke <BAALKE@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov>
- Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 20:13:46 GMT
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- Resent-Date: Wed, 6 May 1998 16:17:22 -0400 (EDT)
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There are no meteorites known that is made up entirely of material that
originated outside the solar system, or older than than our solar system.
However, interstellar dust has been detected passing through our solar system,
but has not yet been analyzed. The dust particles were first detected by the
Ulysses spacecraft when it observed the particles moving in the opposite
direction of the motion of the planets. The Galileo spacecraft later
confirmed these findings.
The good news is we already plan to collect these interstellar particles and
return them to Earth for detailed analysis. The STARDUST spacecraft, which
will be launched next February, will collect these particles. STARDUST
will also be collecting material coming out of Comet Wild-2.
The interstellar particules will be collected over a period of several months
in 2000 and 2002.
Ron Baalke