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...
expect fully future information landed morning samples solar system textbooks
I fully expect that textbooks in the future will have a lot of information about the formation of the solar system from these samples that landed this morning in Utah.
ability quickly totally
We were totally overwhelmed by the ability to actually see this so quickly and so straightforwardly.
almost entire excellent left
We're in excellent shape. We've done almost everything we have to do in the entire mission...only thing left is to come into the Earth.
absolutely seeing variety
We're seeing a variety of things that we know absolutely come from a comet.
billion blocks building earth examine fantastic farthest formed solar soon system traveled
We're approaching the end of a fantastic voyage. This is the farthest anything from Earth has traveled and come back. Soon we'll be able to examine the building blocks that formed the solar system 4.6 billion years ago.
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.
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.
exceeded grandest larger million particles
It exceeded all of our grandest expectations. We should have more than 1 million particles larger than 1 micron in diameter.
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.
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.