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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Impact tracks in aerogel

Impact tracks in aerogel
Impact tracks in aerogel These tracks were made by two particles from comet Wild 2 after they crashed into an aerogel sample cell on the Stardust spacecraft. The largest comet particles fragmented into multiple pieces on impact; you can see several particles at the ends (on the left) of these tracks. NASA / JPL-Caltech / University of Washington