Explanation:
Comet Tempel 1 is
targeted for a collision
with the impactor probe from NASA's Deep Impact Spacecraft
at about 1:52am EDT on July 4th
(other
time zones).
Cameras on the impactor probe and the flyby spacecraft will
capture close-up images of the event -
expected
to produce
a crater on the surface of the comet's nucleus.
Of course,
Earth-orbiting
and ground-based telescopes will be watching
too, including instruments on the
Swift satellite normally used to
spot
gamma-ray bursts in the distant universe.
Swift's ultraviolet telescope recorded
this picture of Tempel 1
on June 29th.
Because the image is registered on the comet,
the background stars appear as short trails.
Want to follow the encounter?
Media coverage chronicling the event, and the possibilities for
viewing the comet
with small telescopes can be found through the
Deep
Impact website.
Updated images will
also be available from the
Kitt Peak
National Observatory.
