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Piece of a Comet

Feb. 21, 2006
This image shows a comet particle collected by NASA's Stardust spacecraft. The particle is made up of the silicate mineral forsterite, also known as peridot in its gem form.

This image shows a comet particle collected by the Stardust spacecraft. The particle is made up of the silicate mineral forsterite, also known as peridot in its gem form. It is surrounded by a thin rim of melted aerogel, the substance used to collect the comet dust samples. The particle is about 2 micrometers across.

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