images

Comet Wild 2 nucleus

by

Nasa/JPL-Caltech/Novapix

Reference

a-com07-00003

Date

2006-08-22

This image was taken during the close approach phase of Stardust's Jan 2, 2004 flyby of comet Wild 2. It is a distant side view of the roughly spherical comet nucleus. One hemisphere is in sunlight and the other is in shadow analogous to a view of the quarter moon. Several large depressed regions can be seen. Comet Wild 2 is about five kilometers (3.1 miles) in diameter.