Surface of young Jupiter family comet 81P/Wild 2: view from the Stardust Spacecraft

Science. 2004 Jun 18;304(5678):1764-9. doi: 10.1126/science.1097899.

Abstract

Images taken by the Stardust mission during its flyby of 81P/Wild 2 show the comet to be a 5-kilometer oblate body covered with remarkable topographic features, including unusual circular features that appear to be impact craters. The presence of high-angle slopes shows that the surface is cohesive and self-supporting. The comet does not appear to be a rubble pile, and its rounded shape is not directly consistent with the comet being a fragment of a larger body. The surface is active and yet it retains ancient terrain. Wild 2 appears to be in the early stages of its degradation phase as a small volatile-rich body in the inner solar system.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Cosmic Dust
  • Gases
  • Meteoroids*
  • Spacecraft
  • Water

Substances

  • Cosmic Dust
  • Gases
  • Water