[ASTRONOMIA] Flying Saucer Crash Lands in Utah Desert

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/181...t_nasa_800.jpg

image credit: USAF 388th Range Sqd., Genesis Mission, NASA



a flying saucer from outer space crash-landed in the Utah desert after being tracked by radar and chased by helicopters

the year was 2004, and no space aliens were involved

the saucer, pictured here, was the Genesis sample return capsule, part of a human-made robot Genesis spaceship launched in 2001 by NASA itself to study the Sun

the unexpectedly hard landing at over 300 kilometers per hour occurred because the parachutes did not open as planned

the Genesis mission had been orbiting the Sun collecting solar wind particles that are usually deflected away by Earth's magnetic field

despite the crash landing, many return samples remained in good enough condition to analyze

so far, Genesis-related discoveries include new details about the composition of the Sun and how the abundance of some types of elements differ across the Solar System

these results have provided intriguing clues into details of how the Sun and planets formed billions of years ago







































in apod.nasa.gov/apod