Hubble captures outburst from comet targeted by Deep Impact (14:15 UT image)
In a dress rehearsal for the rendezvous between NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft and comet 9P/Tempel 1, the Hubble Space Telescope captured dramatic images of a new jet of dust streaming from the icy comet.
The images are a reminder that Tempel 1's icy nucleus, roughly the size of central Paris, is dynamic and volatile. Astronomers hope the eruption of dust seen in these observations is a preview of the fireworks that may come 4 July, when a probe from the Deep Impact spacecraft will slam into the comet, possibly blasting off material and giving rise to a similar dust plume.
Credit:About the Image
Id: | heic0508c |
Type: | Observation |
Release date: | 27 June 2005, 16:00 |
Related releases: | heic0508 |
Size: | 1400 x 1400 px |
About the Object
Name: | Comet 9P, Tempel 1 |
Type: | Solar System : Interplanetary Body : Comet Solar System : Interplanetary Body : Comet : Tail : Dust |
Category: | Solar System |
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Colours & filters
Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
---|---|---|
Optical V | 606 nm |
Hubble Space Telescope
ACS |