Comet probe goes on wild ride

NASA grabbed a comet by the tail on Friday, as it sent a space probe into the cloud of shimmering gas and dust.

Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory directed the Stardust probe to pass within 300 kilometres of the comet Wild 2 as it tries to gather samples of the tail.

The probe is also taking pictures as it flies near the comet's nucleus at about 22,000 km/h.

• FROM DEC. 31, 2003: NASA probe to collect comet dust

Wild 2's centre is thought to be just over five kilometres across.

Following the flyby 390 kilometres away, scientists hope Stardust will fly past the Earth in 2006 and drop a capsule holding its harvest of comet tail.

The plan is for the capsule to land in Utah.

Scientists believe the sample which will amount to less than a thimbleful will contain pristine examples of the solar system's building blocks dating back nearly five billion years.