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Micro-Imaging Dust Analysis System
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<p>The Micro-Imaging Dust Analysis System (MIDAS) is one of several instruments on the <a href="/facts/European_Space_Agency/L8YRNV0C">European Space Agency</a>'s <a href="/facts/Rosetta_(spacecraft)/ASd7ggs3"><i>Rosetta</i></a> mission which studied <i>in-situ</i> the environment around the active <a href="/facts/Comet/w34utQCd">comet</a> <a href="/facts/67P/Churyumov%E2%80%93Gerasimenko/FBdA81uy">67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko</a> as it flew into the inner <a href="/facts/Solar_System/QIcLSazQ">Solar System</a>. MIDAS is an <a href="/facts/Atomic_force_microscopy/JDbdsvdy">atomic force microscope (AFM)</a> designed to collect <a href="/facts/Comet_dust/wE6apPVv">dust particles</a> emitted from the comet, and then scan them with a very sharp needle-like tip to determine their 3D structure, size and texture with very high resolution (4 <a href="/facts/Nanometers/a98sjHyu">nanometers</a>). </p>