PIA02137: Tempel Alive with Light


Tempel Alive with Light

Caption:

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.

Cataloging Keywords:

Name Value Additional Values
Target 9P/Tempel
System Periodic Comets
Target Type Comet
Mission Deep Impact
Instrument Host Deep Impact
Host Type Impactor
Instrument High Resolution Instrument (HRI)
Detector
Extra Keywords Collision, Crater, Grayscale, Impact
Acquisition Date
Release Date 2005-07-05
Date in Caption
Image Credit NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD
Source photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02137
Identifier PIA02137