[meteorite-list] 73P in 2022?

From: Matson, Robert <ROBERT.D.MATSON_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Fri Sep 22 00:40:44 2006
Message-ID: <A8044CCD89B24B458AE36254DCA2BD0701DFBAC3_at_0005-its-exmp01.us.saic.com>

Hi Ed,

> Of course, SW3 is likely to provide us with some samples,
> certainly by 2022.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into your posts, but several times in
recent weeks you've mentioned the 2022 encounter with the
73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann cometary debris stream as if it
will be a certain, spectacular event. Yet SW3 is not a great
comet, and given its penchant for fragmentation it seems to me
that it might completely disintegrate before 2022 rolls around,
resulting in a "dud". When you say "provide us with some samples",
I assume you mean if we were to launch a spacecraft (e.g. with
aerogel) to collect samples at that time? --Rob
Received on Fri 22 Sep 2006 12:40:19 AM PDT