Donald Yeomans
Donald Yeomans
allowed beauty blocks brought building early earth life molecules water
The beauty of comets is that they are important to us. We probably would not be here were it not for comets. Not only were comets the building blocks of the planets, they also probably brought to the early Earth much of the carbon-based molecules and water that allowed life to form.
exotic rock
Comets are thought to be icy dirtballs made up of exotic ices, dust, and rock particles,
currently enjoying field intense period planetary science
The field of planetary science is currently enjoying an intense period of readjustment and discovery.
given ready seems
It seems MINERVA was ready to do its part if only given the chance.
blissfully ten
Ten years ago, we would have been blissfully ignorant.
asteroid clearly comet line longer rules
The line between comet and asteroid is no longer clearly drawn. The old rules probably don't apply.
solar study system wish
If you wish to study what the solar system is made of you study comets.
comet mission understand
The mission is to understand what a comet is made of and how it's put together.
assumed comet delivered heavy impacts late numerous today
It was assumed that, after the Late Heavy Bombardment let up, comet impacts ? which were then 1,000 times more numerous than today ? delivered Earth's water.
few nervous
There's a few nervous people, to be sure. There's a lot of things that could go wrong.