Image: Comet dust microscopic photo

Description: Displayed in a close-up under an electron microscope, this tiny bit ofcosmic dust may be ourfirst sample of a passing comet. Less than one-tenth of a millimeter across, the particle is composed ofmillions ofeven tinier crystals. Although chemically similar to some meteorites, itsfluffy, crystalline structure is unlike that of any known meteorite. Interplanetary dust particles like this are trapped in special collectors flown aboard high-altitude aircraft. Their interplanetary origin is established by analyzing the gases that they trapped from the Sun while still in space. The interplanetary dust is believed to come from comets, which shed material as they are warmed by the Sun. It may be possible to collect material from a particular comet when one passes close enough to the Earth some day.
Title: Comet dust microscopic photo
Credit: NASA: http://history.nasa.gov/EP-177/ch2-4.html
Author: NASA
Usage Terms: Public domain
License: Public domain
Attribution Required?: No