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Public can help study cosmic dust samples returned by the Stardust

Members of the public are being asked to help study cosmic dust samples returned by the Stardust space mission. The particles are buried in gel that was exposed to the interstellar dust stream during the probe’s seven-year voyage around the Solar System. Scientists need volunteers to sift through millions of pictures of the gel to locate the few dozen tiny grains.

Scientists developed the technique that the US space agency (Nasa) will use to scan the ultra-light gel (aerogel) in which the interstellar dust grains are embedded. The gel - which is contained within a "honeycomb" of collector trays - will be scanned by an automated microscope at a clean room in Nasa’s Johnston Space Center in Houston shortly after landing.

Volunteers will be able to access the images via a web-based "virtual microscope". To take part, they need a reasonably up-to-date computer with Netscape or Internet Explorer, patience and some spare time. People who register will have to go through a web-based training session to see if they are suitable.

Once located, the particles will be extracted from the gel and analysed in research labs around the world.

As well as the satisfaction of taking part in the space project, volunteers have another incentive - the chance to name any dust grains they find.

If interested, please visit

http://stardustathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/

posted by: kyawoo at 21:40 | link | comments |
unmanned missions, comets

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