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Deep Impact Catches First Glimpse of Target Comet

Posted by timothy on from the now-put-ben-affleck-into-the-torpedo-tube dept.

smooth wombat writes "The BBC has a story, with pics and diagrams, showing the first image of comet Temple Tuttle 1 taken by the Deep Impact spacecraft. (Secondary link from Wired News) The Deep Impact spacecraft is to rendezvous with the comet on July 4th and impact the comet in an attempt to learn more about how comets are formed and possibly more insight into how the solar system was formed. A camera on the impactor will allow scientists to examine the surface of Tempel 1 in greater detail than ever before. Depending on how much dust hits the camera's lens, scientists should be able to see photos up until a second before impact. If that's the case, the photos will reveal objects as small as 8 inches in width. The photos will immediately be relayed to the main Deep Impact spacecraft and then down to Earth."

16 of 67 comments (clear)

  1. Intelligent Life on Temple 1? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I imagine if there is, they will have a similar look on their faces as a soccer player right before he takes a ball to the face. But I digress... fifty bucks says now that NASA wants to crash, they wont.

    *ducks*

  2. Only Cameras? by capt.Hij · · Score: 2, Informative
    The encounter, at roughly 23,000 mph, is expected to kick up dust and leave behind a large crater, though scientists don't know for sure just what will happen since they have never attempted anything like this before.

    I couldn't find anything in either article about the instrementation other than that they have cameras. Is that the only thing they've got? If so, then an image won't be able to do anything than generate more questions and add little insight. Besides, at these speeds they will be something like 1/2 mile out when the last picture is taken.

    1. Re:Only Cameras? by AgNO3 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually it is more like 6.3 miles for the last pics.

      --
      OMG Ponies!!! with Glitter!!!! I miss Pink :-(
    2. Re:Only Cameras? by kromozone · · Score: 2, Informative

      Most of the data is not going to come from the impactor but from the flyby spacecraft. The flyby craft will wait outside the comet's coma where it will be free from contact with dust or other matter ejected from the surface of the comet. The impactor's primary function is just to slam a big hole into the comet so the flyby spacecraft can get a peak inisde /reading comprehension

    3. Re:Only Cameras? by Shag · · Score: 3, Informative
      Precisely! To be more specific, this batch of ground-based telescopes, coordinated by this member of NASA's science team for the mission. :)

      Alas, I think someone else gets to operate that night on the one I run, so I guess I'll just go hang out and watch.

      --
      Village idiot in some extremely smart villages.
    4. Re:Only Cameras? by UnapprovedThought · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Even if there were no cameras or other instruments on board, data would be generated because the comet's orbit should be perturbed very slightly, something that would show up in future orbits.

      The data will be valuable if we are ever required to change a comet's orbit in a hurry, or even if we weren't in a hurry but knew that something would hit the earth in hundreds of years. Due to the long distances traveled, a slight change very early on expands into a much greater effect many years later. There wouldn't be a need to launch a megaton nuke against something as long as it can be prevented early on by touching it with a feather.

      That being said, a camera image can plainly tell you if you hit the target at all, and answer critical questions such as: did the object go straight through the comet without transferring any momentum? How much material was displaced? What is the size, density and composition of the dust cloud? What is the shape of the crater?

      Much of this data can analyzed later to improve the accuracy and dependability of future missions, to help decide how much more research is needed, and to improve our understanding of space debris in general.

  3. A note about the name by FleaPlus · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Because there's inevitably comments about the mission's name (which is the same as that of a Hollywood movie) whenever this is on slashdot, I figured I'd try to nip it in the bud. From this article:

    "The scientists came up with the Deep Impact name independently of the movie studio, around the same time, neither knowing the other was choosing it, even though some members of NASA's Deep Impact team were consultants on the picture."

    For those seeking more info, here's the Wikipedia article (on the mission, not the movie).

    1. Re:A note about the name by ajs · · Score: 3, Funny

      The problem I have with the name of the Movie is the same one I have with the mission: it really sounds like a name that belongs on one of those pornos that rips off the basic premise of a movie, but somehow always ends up involving a delivery guy showing up to the wrong house....

    2. Re:A note about the name by cyclone96 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      While I do not know for certain in this case (I do not work on Deep Impact), it certainly would not be out of character for NASA engineers to try to make this occur on July 4.

      I work on the Shuttle and Station programs. Occasionally, we need to dump water overboard for one reason or another. It's spectacular to see from the ground, and while there are some constraints as to when it needs to occur often times we simply pick an arbitrary time period within a window to actually execute the dump.

      You can be darn sure that, given the choice, we schedule it to occur over the continental United States with the proper lighting to see it for ourselves and watch the news pick it up! If the trajectory doesn't work out, we try to give Europe a show. It's not someone at Headquarters directing us to do it that way because it would be good PR, just a bunch of engineers that have found an interesting problem to work on.

      It's a beautiful thing to see, might as well let the public enjoy it.

      --
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    3. Re:A note about the name by Hatta · · Score: 2, Informative

      Disregard that comment, I RTFA and the comet in question is Temple 1 not Temple-Tuttle. Article submitter screws up again.

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      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
  4. Deep Impact? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    from the now-put-ben-affleck-into-the-torpedo-tube dept.

    Well I guess that's better than the:

    from the now-put-the-torpedo-tube-into-ben-affleck dept.

  5. Personally I think... by vudufixit · · Score: 3, Funny

    This probe is going to do a far better job than the "Armageddon" probe they're sending up next year.

  6. Poke Poke by ghoda_x · · Score: 4, Funny

    Kid: "Hmmm, that slug looks interesting. I think I'll poke it with this stick."

    Scientist: "Hmmm, that comet looks interesting. I think I'll run into it with this camera."

    I guess scientists are big kids with better sticks.

    --

    Give me but one firm spot on which to stand, and I will move the earth.
    - Archimedes
  7. A drawing of the comet by pease1 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Last new moon, I made this visual visual drawing of the comet using this telescope.

  8. Re:Photo details by khujifig · · Score: 3, Funny

    " The last photo will show an alien looking upwards with its life flashing before its eyes" ...wondering if the probe will be friends with it.

  9. Amazing, but... by fallendove · · Score: 2, Interesting

    We should be spending this cash on another moon rocket.