Stardust Mission Reveals Surprising Origins of Comet Wild 2

Analysis of Samples Uncovers Diverse Dust Origins and Materials Not Seen in Meteorites

NASA's Stardust mission returned samples from comet 81P/Wild 2 to Earth in 2006, revealing surprising information about the comet's origins and history.
Instead of being dominated by primordial dust, as expected, Wild 2 contained a diverse mix of dust that formed from different events early in the Solar System's history.
Wild 2, which likely formed beyond Neptune and currently orbits the sun between Mars and Jupiter, contains materials never seen in meteorites, including unusual carbon-iron assemblages and the precursors to igneous spherules.
Most of the Wild 2 particles are still unstudied and are expected to hold many more surprises.
The Stardust samples provide a record of the deep past, offering a better understanding of the Solar System's dynamic formative years.