81P/Wild 2

81P/Wild 2 — comet, explore its interactive 3D model in Cosmoscope.

Explore 81P/Wild 2 in a live 3D Solar System. Follow its calculated motion and inspect real astronomical data, distances and orbital facts.

The comet we brought home: Stardust flew through its coma in 2004, caught the dust in aerogel, and parachuted the first-ever comet samples back to Earth.

Nucleus

~5.5 × 4.0 km

Period

6.41 years

Visited

Stardust, 2004 — and sampled

Returned

Comet dust parachuted to Utah, 2006

Explore 81P/Wild 2 in 3D

Cosmoscope places 81P/Wild 2 in the Solar System using astronomical ephemeris or orbital elements, updated for the simulation time. Explore its calculated motion, distance and orbital facts in the interactive 3D view. Accuracy depends on the orbital model and its valid time range.