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All systems on NASA's Stardust spacecraft performed successfully when tested in a flyby of asteroid Annefrank, heightening anticipation for Stardust's encounter with its primary target, comet Wild 2 (pronounced 'Vilt'), 14 months from now. As a bonus, Stardust discovered that Annefrank is about twice the size anticipated, but with a dimmer surface. The dimmer surface increased the challenge of sighting the object as the spacecraft approached.
The false colours in the image opposite emphasize the variations in surface brightness on the asteroid. Images courtesy of NASA/JPL.
More info: Spaceflight Now
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