Is it us or have you noticed all the news about space this week? Yes it’s all going on, intergalactically speaking. So far we have heard about how final preparations are being made for the first ever space mission to Pluto, set to blast-off this week. Nasa's New Horizons will launch from Florida and will take nearly 10 years to get to the icy planet. Once there it will take pictures and beam them back to Earth. Say cheese!
For more details check out the Newsround website.
Secondly we have heard how a capsule has returned to Earth after a seven-year mission collecting dust from space. The US probe Stardust collected about a million particles surrounding a comet. Stardust then released the samples as it flew past Earth. The capsule reached speeds of 46,660kph (29,000mph) as it fell to Earth, making it the fastest re-entry of any manmade probe. Whooosh! Faster than a has-been signing up for Celebrity Big Brother.
Scientists are hoping the space dust will give them clues about how our Solar System began. The probe captured the comet and dust particles using cells filled with a special ultra-light gel called aerogel. This is the first time ever that a space mission has bought back space dust in this way. Read more at the cBBC news site.
One theory of how life on Earth began is that it didn't start here at all. Life may have arrived from outer space on a comet. This is called the 'panspermia theory'.
During the early part of Earth's history, collisions with comets were commonplace. Comets have been found which contain amino acids, the building blocks of life. So they could have brought life to Earth. Sounds incredible doesn’t it? Read the evidence and cast your vote.
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