Donald Brownlee
Donald Brownlee
Donald Eugene Brownleeis a professor of astronomy at the University of Washingtonand the principal investigator for NASA's Stardust mission. His primary research interests include astrobiology, comets, and cosmic dust. He was born in Las Vegas, Nevada...
comet history people planet view
This was our first view of the comet dust. We are the first people in the history of the planet to see comet dust.
atoms billion bodies comet earth far four half library low picked records solar stardust sun system using virtually
Virtually all of the atoms in our bodies and in the Earth were in interstellar grains - stardust grains - before the solar system formed. We're using this comet as a library that picked up records of the formation of our solar system, and has been storing them far from the sun at very low temperatures for four and a half billion years.
comet expect fully older particles
We fully expect some of the comet particles to be older than the sun.
billion comet far library low picked records stored sun using
We?re using this comet as a library that picked up records and stored them far from the sun at very low temperatures for 4.5 billion years.
comet full opened yesterday
We opened the capsule yesterday and it's just full of comet dust.
comet edge samples solar
It's thrilling. We have samples of a comet from the edge of the solar system.
billion desert formed great lake landed larger last million nearly particles salt seven solar space stardust system three traveling treasure
Last Sunday, after seven years in space traveling nearly three billion miles, Stardust landed in the Great Salt Lake Desert with a treasure from when the solar system formed 4.6 billion years ago. We should have more than one million particles larger than one micron in diameter.
half mass size
Our capsule is half the size and one-fourth the mass of Genesis,
extremely fire formed found high remarkably samples solar system
Remarkably enough, we have found fire and ice. We've found samples from the coldest part of the solar system that have mineral grains formed under extremely high temperatures.
fire found remarkably
Remarkably enough, we have found fire and ice.
formed solar
We can tell the difference, absolutely, for something that formed in our own solar system, and something that formed around another star.
feet lots small
We can see lots of impacts. There are big ones, there are small ones. The big ones you can see from 10 feet away.
huge lots small
It exceeds all expectations. It's a huge success. We can see lots of impacts. There are big ones, there are small ones.
huge
It exceeds all expectations. It's a huge success.