81P/Wild: Difference between revisions
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reverted. the new paragraph is hardly readable and unclear if it constitues original research. |
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So far[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060313/ap_on_sc/comet_return], the composition of the dust has contained a surprising amount of [[anorthite]] and [[diopside]], materials only formed under high heat. This is a surprise, because the conventional wisdom among a majority of scientists has been that comets form only in the coldest, deepest reaches of a planetary system, and should have no hot-formed materials. |
So far[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060313/ap_on_sc/comet_return], the composition of the dust has contained a surprising amount of [[anorthite]] and [[diopside]], materials only formed under high heat. This is a surprise, because the conventional wisdom among a majority of scientists has been that comets form only in the coldest, deepest reaches of a planetary system, and should have no hot-formed materials. |
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However, a plasma electrical model provides the obvious conclusion is that the solar system is not Newtonian clockwork. If Venus was a stupendous, threatening comet within the memory of mankind there must be another force at work, as well as gravity, which operates to quickly restore stability. The result is the solar system we see today, which gives no clue to a recent turbulent history. |
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The answer, once again, can be found if we accept that the Sun is the focus of a galactic discharge. All of the planets and comets are charged bodies orbiting within the Sun's plasma sheath. Bodies on cometary orbits experience visible electric discharge and 'non-gravitational' forces. Charge exchange occurs between bodies when their cometary plasma sheaths intersect. If it is a close encounter, 'non-gravitational' electrical forces dominate. The result is that planets effectively space themselves apart by roughly their plasma tail's length. Collisions are avoided and celestial order maintained electrically. |
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*[http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/0081P.html IAU Ephemerides page for 81P] |
*[http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/0081P.html IAU Ephemerides page for 81P] |
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*[http://planetary.org/explore/topics/asteroids_and_comets/wild2_stardust.html Catalogue of all 72 raw images of Wild 2] |
*[http://planetary.org/explore/topics/asteroids_and_comets/wild2_stardust.html Catalogue of all 72 raw images of Wild 2] |
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*[http://www.holoscience.com/news.php?article=z77uacgp] |
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{{PeriodicComets Navigator|80P/Peters-Hartley|82P/Gehrels}} |
{{PeriodicComets Navigator|80P/Peters-Hartley|82P/Gehrels}} |
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Revision as of 21:15, 15 December 2006
 Enhanced image from the Stardust spacecraft | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Paul Wild |
| Discovery date | 1978 |
| Designations | |
| 1978 XI; 1984 XIV; 1990 XXVIII | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch | March 6, 2006 |
| Aphelion | 5.308 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.592 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 3.45 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.5384 |
| Orbital period | 6.408 a |
| Inclination | 3.2394° |
| Last perihelion | September 25, 2003 |
| Next perihelion | 2010 |
Comet 81P/Wild, also known as Wild 2, is a comet named after Swiss astronomer Paul Wild (pronounced Vilt), who discovered it in 1978.
It is believed that for most of its 4.5 billion-year lifetime, Wild 2 had a more distant and circular orbit. In 1974, it passed within only about one million kilometers of the planet Jupiter, whose strong gravitational pull altered the comet's orbit and brought it into the inner solar system. Its orbital period changed from 40 years to about 6 years, and its perihelion is now about 1.59 AU (astronomical unit).
NASA's Stardust Mission launched a spacecraft, named Stardust, on February 7, 1999. It flew by Wild 2 on January 2, 2004 and collected particle samples from the comet's coma, which were returned to Earth along with interstellar dust it collected during the journey. 72 close-up shots were taken of Wild 2 by Stardust. They revealed a surface riddled with flat-bottomed depressions, with sheer walls and other features that range from very small to up to 2 kilometres across. These features are believed to be caused by impact craters or gas vents. During Stardust's flyby, at least 10 gas vents were active. The comet itself has a diameter of 5 kilometres.
Stardust's "sample return canister," was reported to be in excellent condition when it landed in Utah, on January 15, 2006. A NASA team analyzed the particle capture cells and removed individual grains of comet and interstellar dust, then sent them to about 150 scientists around the globe [1]. NASA is collaborating with The Planetary Society who will run a project called "Stardust@Home," using volunteers to help locate particles on the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector (SIDC).
So far[2], the composition of the dust has contained a surprising amount of anorthite and diopside, materials only formed under high heat. This is a surprise, because the conventional wisdom among a majority of scientists has been that comets form only in the coldest, deepest reaches of a planetary system, and should have no hot-formed materials.
Other photographs
External links
- NASA Team Analyzes Stardust Particle Capture January 18, 2006
- NASA/JPL homepage for Stardust project
- Stardust@Home Volunteer Particle Analysis Project
- IAU Ephemerides page for 81P
- Catalogue of all 72 raw images of Wild 2