This image shows the view from Deep Impact's probe 90 seconds before it was pummeled by comet Tempel 1. The image was taken by the probe's impactor targeting sensor.
This image shows the initial ejecta that resulted when NASA's Deep Impact probe collided with comet Tempel 1 at 10:52 p.m. Pacific time, July 3 (1:52 a.m. Eastern time, July 4). It was taken by the spacecraft's medium-resolution camera 16 seconds after impact.
This image shows the view from Deep Impact's probe 30 minutes before it was pummeled by comet Tempel 1. The picture's brightness has been enhanced to show the jets of dust streaming away from the comet. The image was taken by the probe's impactor targeting sensor.
This image shows comet Tempel 1 as seen through the clear filter of the medium-resolution camera on NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft. It was taken on June 30, 2005, when the spacecraft was 3,262,030.3 kilometers (2,027,026 miles) away from the comet. Four images were combined together, and a logarithmic stretch was applied to enhance the coma of the comet.
This image shows comet Tempel 1 as seen through the clear filter of the medium-resolution camera on NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft. It was taken on July 1, 2005, when the spacecraft was 2,446,529.1 kilometers (1,520,273 miles) away from the comet. Five images were combined together, and a logarithmic stretch was applied to enhance the coma of the comet.
This movie of comet Tempel 1 is made up of raw images taken by the medium resolution imager on the Deep Impact spacecraft. The images were acquired between June 22 and June 24, 2005. A brightening by a factor of about 5 and a rapid decay to baseline brightness were observed on June 22. As the comet moves through space, background stars pass in and out of the field of view. Cosmic rays hitting the spacecraft's detector give an appearance of flickering. This is an artifact of space cameras that can be removed.
This image shows comet Tempel 1 as seen through the clear filter of the medium resolution imager camera on Deep Impact. It was taken on June 25, 2005, when the spacecraft was 8,007,845.1 kilometers (4,976,075 miles) away from the comet. Ten images were combined to create this picture, and a logarithmic stretch was applied to enhance the coma of the comet.
This spectacular image of comet Tempel 1 was taken 67 seconds after it obliterated Deep Impact's impactor spacecraft. The image was taken by the high-resolution camera on the mission's flyby craft. Scattered light from the collision saturated the camera's detector, creating the bright splash seen here. Linear spokes of light radiate away from the impact site, while reflected sunlight illuminates most of the comet surface. The image reveals topographic features, including ridges, scalloped edges and possibly impact craters formed long ago.
Quick Time Movie for PIA02130 Realtime Ejecta (Animation)
This movie was taken by Deep Impact's flyby spacecraft shows the flash that occurred when comet Tempel 1 ran over the spacecraft's probe. It was taken by the flyby craft's medium-resolution camera.
This image is a compilation of nine images that were taken on June 15, 2005 through the clear filter of the medium resolution camera. The spacecraft is 16,896,900 kilometers (10,499,250 miles) away from the comet. This image is displayed on a linear scale that enhances the comet's coma.
This false-color image shows comet Tempel 1 about 50 minutes after Deep Impact's probe smashed into its surface. The impact site is located on the far side of the comet in this view. The image was taken by the mission's flyby spacecraft as it turned back to face the comet for one last photo opportunity.
The colors represent brightness, with white indicating the brightest materials and black showing the faintest materials. This brightness is a measure of reflected sunlight.
Because the sunlit portion of the comet is brighter, it appears white. The comet's nucleus is silhouetted against the light reflected from surrounding dust.
The large plume of dust that was kicked up upon impact can be seen as the colorful, drop-shaped object. This plume was very bright, indicating that the comet's surface material must be very fine, like talcum powder.
The blue speck in the upper left corner is a star.
This picture was taken by Deep Impact's high-resolution camera.
This image of Deep Impact's impactor probe was taken by the mission's mother ship, or flyby spacecraft, after the two separated at 11:07 p.m. Pacific time, July 2 (2:07 a.m. Eastern time, July 3). The impactor is scheduled to collide with comet Tempel 1 at 10:52 p.m. Pacific time, July 3 (1:52 a.m. Eastern time, July 4). The impactor can be seen at the center of the image.
This image shows comet Tempel 1 as seen through the clear filter of the medium-resolution camera on NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft. It was taken on June 29, 2005, when the spacecraft was 4,151,586 kilometers (2,579,795 miles) away from the comet. Four images were combined together, and a logarithmic stretch was applied to enhance the coma of the comet.
This image shows comet Tempel 1 approximately 5 minutes before Deep Impact's probe smashed into its surface. It was taken by the probe's impactor targeting sensor. The Sun is to the right of the image and reveals terrain varying in brightness by a factor of two. Shadows and bright areas indicate surface topography. Smooth regions with no features (lower left and upper right) are probably younger than rougher areas with circular features, which are probably impact craters. The probe crashed between the two dark-rimmed craters near the center and bottom of the comet.
The nucleus is estimated to be about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) across and 7 (4.3 miles) kilometers tall.
This image shows comet Tempel 1 sixty seconds before it ran over NASA's Deep Impact probe at 10:52 p.m. Pacific time, July 3 (1:52 a.m. Eastern time, July 4). The picture was taken by the probe's impactor targeting sensor.
This image shows the view from Deep Impact's probe 30 seconds before it was pummeled by comet Tempel 1. The image was taken by the probe's impactor targeting sensor.
This image of the surface of comet Tempel 1 was taken about 20 seconds before Deep Impact's probe crashed into the comet at 10:52 p.m. Pacific time, July 3. This particular region contains the impact site.
The bright patches in the image may consist of very smooth and reflective material, the composition of which will be determined by Deep Impact's spectrometer. Dark areas are in shadow and provide information about surface topography. Higher terrain appears rough relative to lower areas that appear very smooth. Is this a layered surface? And how did the smooth regions form? These are some of the questions the science team plans to address.
This image was taken by the probe's impactor targeting sensor.
Images of impact taken with the medium resolution imager. The blue dotted line is the position of the spectrometer's slit. At each point along the slit, a spectrum exists that contains information about the constituents in the spectrometer's field of view.
A temperature map of the nucleus with different spatial resolutions. The context image (in black and white) is a HRIVIS image taken just before impact. The color bar in the middle gives temperature in Kelvins. The sun is to the right in all images.
These data were acquired with the IR spectrometer using signal between 1.8 and 2.2 µm and modeled to contain both a reflected and an emitted component. After this model is applied, the resulting number is a temperature which is represented by different colors with red being the highest and purple the coldest.
The derived temperature varies from 260 +/- 6K to 329 +/- 8K. Shadows are the coolest temperatures, and the point directly below the sun is hottest. These temperatures indicate that the thermal inertia of the surface (the quality of the surface describing the ability to conduct and store heat) is low. In other words, on Tempel 1, it is hot in the sun and cold in the shadows. A value for thermal inertia is estimated at
Voir l'image PIA02143: Temperature Map of Tempel 1 sur le site de la NASA.
This image is a compilation of nine images that were taken on June 15, 2005 through the clear filter of the medium resolution camera. The spacecraft is 16,896,900 kilometers (10,499,250 miles) away from the comet. This image is displayed on a logarithmic scale that enhances the comet's coma.
When NASA's Deep Impact probe collided with Tempel 1, a bright, small flash was created, which rapidly expanded above the surface of the comet. This flash lasted for more than a second. Its overall brightness is close to that predicted by several models.
After the initial flash, there was a pause before a bright plume quickly extended above the comet surface. The debris from the impact eventually cast a long shadow across the surface, indicating a narrow plume of ejected material, rather than a wide cone. The Deep Impact probe appears to have struck deep, before gases were heated and explosively released. The impact crater was observed to grow in size over time.
A preliminary interpretation of these data indicate that the upper surface of the comet may be fluffy, or highly porous. The observed sequence of impact events is similar to laboratory experiments using highly porous targets, especially those that are rich in volatile substances. The duration of the hot, luminous gas phase, as well as the continued growth of the crater over time, all point to a model consistent with a large crater.
This image was taken by Deep Impact's medium-resolution camera.
This image shows comet Tempel 1 as seen by the Deep Impact spacecraft on June 19, 2005. It was taken using the clear filter of the spacecraft's medium resolution imager camera. The spacecraft was 13,341,692.5 kilometers (8,290,528 miles) away from the comet. Four images were combined together to create this picture, and a logarithmic stretch was applied to enhance the coma of the comet. The star to the right is six times brighter than the brightest pixel of the comet.
This image shows how Deep Impact's impactor targeted comet Tempel 1 as the spacecraft made its final approach in the early morning hours of July 4, Eastern time. The autonomous navigation system on the probe was designed to make as many as three impactor targeting maneuvers, identified as ITMs in this picture, to correct its course to the comet.
The upper left dot indicates where the probe would have passed the comet's nucleus if no maneuvers were performed. The dot below the nucleus shows where the probe would have flown past the comet if only the first maneuver was made. The leftmost dot on the nucleus marks the spot where the probe would have crunched the comet if only the first two maneuvers had been performed. The lower dot on the nucleus indicates the vicinity where, once the third maneuver was performed, the probe met its final reward and collided with the comet.
This image shows comet Tempel 1 as seen through the clear filter of the medium resolution imager camera on Deep Impact. It was taken on June 26, 2005, when the spacecraft was 7,118,499.4 kilometers (4,423,435 miles) away from the comet. Eight images were combined to create this picture, and a logarithmic stretch was applied to enhance the coma of the comet.
This image shows comet Tempel 1 as seen through the clear filter of the medium resolution imager camera on Deep Impact. It was taken on June 27, 2005, when the spacecraft was 6,229,030.3 kilometers (3,870,719 miles) away from the comet. Three images were combined to create this picture, and a logarithmic stretch was applied to enhance the coma of the comet.
Quick Time Movie for PIA02140 Tempel Fades into Night
This movie is made up of images taken by Deep Impact's flyby spacecraft after it turned around to capture last shots of a receding comet Tempel 1. Earlier, the mission's probe had smashed into the surface of Tempel 1, kicking up the fan-shaped plume of dust seen here behind the comet. These pictures were taken by the flyby craft's high-resolution camera over a period beginning 50 minutes after impact, and ending about 12 hours after impact. Impact occurred at 10:52 p.m. Pacific time, July 3, 2005.
Click on the image for Quick Time Movie
Impactor Targeting Sensor Approach
This movie shows Deep Impact's impactor probe approaching comet Tempel 1. It is made up of images taken by the probe's impactor targeting sensor. The probe collided with the comet at 10:52 p.m. Pacific time, July 3 (1:52 a.m. Eastern time, July 4).
This image composite shows comet Tempel 1 in visible (left) and infrared (right) light (figure 1). The infrared picture highlights the warm, or sunlit, side of the comet, where NASA's Deep Impact probe later hit. These data were acquired about six minutes before impact. The visible image was taken by the medium-resolution camera on the mission's flyby spacecraft, and the infrared data were acquired by the flyby craft's infrared spectrometer.
Tempel 1 First Optical Navigation
On Monday, April 25, the Deep Impact spacecraft obtained its first optical navigation (Op-Nav) image of comet Tempel 1. At the time the picture was taken the distance between spacecraft and comet was 64 million kilometers (39.7 million miles) away. The exposure -- known as a "negative image" -- is used by the spacecraft team to assist in navigation and instrument calibration. The spacecraft will start imaging the comet on a regular basis in about 10 days.
Figure 1: First Look at Tempel's Chemicals
One of the two pictures of Tempel 1 (see also PIA02101) taken by Deep Impact's medium-resolution camera is shown next to data of the comet taken by the spacecraft's infrared spectrometer. This instrument breaks apart light like a prism to reveal the "fingerprints," or signatures, of chemicals. Even though the spacecraft was over 10 days away from the comet when these data were acquired, it detected some of the molecules making up the comet's gas and dust envelope, or coma. The signatures of these molecules -- including water, hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide -- can be seen in the graph, or spectrum.
Deep Impact's impactor spacecraft is scheduled to collide with Tempel 1 at10:52 p.m. Pacific time on July 3 (1:52 a.m. Eastern time, July 4). The mission's flyby spacecraft will use its infrared spectrometer to sample the ejected material, providing the first look at the chemical composition of a comet's nucleus.These data were acquired from June 20 to 21, 2005. The picture of Tempel 1 was taken by the flyby spacecraft's medium-resolution instrument camera. The infrared spectrometer uses the same telescope as the high-resolution instrument camera.This image is a compilation of four images that were taken on June 13, 2005, through the clear filter of the medium resolution imager camera. The spacecraft is 18,675,137.9 kilometers (11,604,190 miles) away from comet Tempel 1, and the Sun is located to the right of the image.
This artist's concept gives us a look at the moment of impact and the forming of the crater.
Figure 1: X-ray Eyes on Tempel
This false-color image shows comet Tempel 1 as seen by Chandra X-ray Observatory on June 30, 2005, Universal Time. The comet was bright and condensed. The X-rays observed from comets are caused by an interaction between highly charged oxygen in the solar wind and neutral gases from the comet.
The observatory detected X-rays with an energy of 0.3 to 1.0 kilo electron Volts. The bulk of the X-rays were between 0.5 and 0.7 kilo electron Volts.
Chandra will observe the comet for 18 hours during and after the time when NASA's Deep Impact impactor probe collides with Tempel 1 at 10:52 p.m. Pacific time, July 3 (1:52 a.m. Eastern time, July 4). The material ejected from the crater could cause the interaction region, and thus the X-ray emission, to move toward the Sun.
Figure 1: Analyzing a Cometary 'Sneeze'
This display shows highly processed images of the outburst of comet Tempel 1 between June 22 and 23, 2005. The pictures were taken by Deep Impact's medium-resolution camera. An average image of the comet has been subtracted from each picture to provide an enhanced view of the outburst. The intensity has also been stretched to show the faintest parts. This processing enables measurement of the outflow speed and the details of the dissipation of the outburst. The left image was taken when the comet was very close to its normal, non-bursting state, so almost nothing is visible.
Comet Tempel 1 as seen by the Deep Impact impactor targeting sensor at 7:44 Universal Time, July 3, 2005. This image was taken 1 hour and 37 minutes after the impactor was released from the flyby craft and is displayed on a logarithmic scale. The impactor was 808,478 kilometers (502,388 miles) away from the comet when the image was taken.
This image shows the initial ejecta that resulted when NASA's Deep Impact probe collided with comet Tempel 1 at 10:52 p.m. Pacific time, July 3 (1:52 a.m. Eastern time, July 4). It was taken by the spacecraft's high-resolution camera 13 seconds after impact. The image has been digitally processed to better show the comet's nucleus.
Figure 1: First Look at Tempel's Chemicals
One of the two pictures of Tempel 1 (see also PIA02100) taken by Deep Impact's medium-resolution camera is shown next to data of the comet taken by the spacecraft's infrared spectrometer. This instrument breaks apart light like a prism to reveal the "fingerprints," or signatures, of chemicals. Even though the spacecraft was over 10 days away from the comet when these data were acquired, it detected some of the molecules making up the comet's gas and dust envelope, or coma. The signatures of these molecules -- including water, hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide -- can be seen in the graph, or spectrum.
Deep Impact's impactor spacecraft is scheduled to collide with Tempel 1 at10:52 p.m. Pacific time on July 3 (1:52 a.m. Eastern time, July 4). The mission's flyby spacecraft will use its infrared spectrometer to sample the ejected material, providing the first look at the chemical composition of a comet's nucleus.These data were acquired from June 20 to 21, 2005. The picture of Tempel 1 was taken by the flyby spacecraft's medium-resolution instrument camera. The infrared spectrometer uses the same telescope as the high-resolution instrument camera.This image shows the view from Deep Impact's flyby spacecraft as it turned back to look at comet Tempel 1. Fifty minutes earlier, the spacecraft's probe was run over by the comet. That collision kicked up plumes of ejected material, seen here streaming away from the back side of the comet. This image was taken by the flyby craft's high-resolution camera.
The Kitt Peak National Observatory's 2.1-meter telescope observed comet Tempel 1 on April 11, 2005, when the comet was near its closest approach to the Earth. A pinkish dust jet is visible to the southwest, with the broader neutral gas coma surrounding it. North is up, East is to the left, and the field of view is about 80,000 km (50,000 miles) wide. The Sun was almost directly behind the observer at this time. The red, green and blue bars in the background are stars that moved between the individual images.
This pseudo-color picture was created by combining three black and white images obtained with different filters. The images were obtained with the HB Narrowband Comet Filters, using CN (3870 A - shown in blue), C2 (5140 A - shown in green) and RC (7128 A - shown in red). The CN and C2 filters capture different gas species (along with the underlying dust) while the RC filter captures just the dust.
Quick Time Movie for PIA02134 High Resolution Impact
This movie taken by Deep Impact's flyby spacecraft shows the flash that occurred when comet Tempel 1 ran over the spacecraft's probe. It was taken by the flyby craft's high-resolution camera over a period of about 40 seconds. The image has been digitally processed to enhance the view of the comet's nucleus.
The image depicts the first moments after Deep Impact's probe interfaced with comet Tempel 1. The illuminated -- and possibly incandescent -- debris is expanding from the impact site. The rough-hewn edges at the top and bottom of the flash are a result of light given off at impact saturating some of the pixels in the camera's imager. The pixels "bleed" excess electronic charge onto adjacent pixels in the same column.
This image was taken by Deep Impact's high-resolution camera.
Quick Time Movie for PIA02125 We're Going In!
This movie shows Deep Impact's impactor probe approaching comet Tempel 1. It is made up of images taken by the probe's impactor targeting sensor. The probe collided with the comet at10:52 p.m. Pacific time, July 3 (1:52 a.m. Eastern time, July 4).
Quick Time Movie for PIA02122 Hubble Witnesses Comet Crash
Figure 1: Hubble Witnesses Comet Crash
These pictures of comet Tempel 1 were taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. They show the comet before and after it ran over NASA's Deep Impact probe.
Quick Time Movie for PIA02117 Journey to a Comet
This movie shows Deep Impact's approach to comet Tempel 1. It is made up of images taken by the spacecraft's medium-resolution camera from May 1 to July 2, 3:50 Universal Time. The spacecraft detected three outbursts during this time period, on June 14, June 22 and July 2. The outbursts appear as flickers or bursts of light. The movie ends during the middle of the final outburst.
This image from NASA TV shows the nucleus of comet Tempel 1 from Deep Impact's flyby's high-resolution imager.
