Space Probe Crashes Into Comet

[mel]

They had some pretty spectacular live photos on TV tonight as Olelo gave us a feed from the NASA JPL observatory of the Deep Impact space probe mission that they sent to a nearby comet 80 million miles away. If you missed it, check out the JPL website for pictures. The program has been on Channel 53 since about 5:30 this afternoon and the probe smashed into the comet around 7:45 tonight. They got some great pictures of the impact taken from the probe's mothership that flew by as the probe went on its crash course.

All I can say is that this is quite spectacular.

More info at this link:
http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html

[kimo55]

...of the Deep Impact space probe mission that they sent to a nearby comet 80 million miles away.



is Bruce Willis ok?

[helen]

You mean Robert Duvall. Bruce Willis did Armageddon which is about an asteriod about to strike the Earth.

[kimo55]

I meant Buzz Adrenalin

[lavagal]

No he meant Tom Cruise!

[kimo55]

No he meant Tom Cruise!
and his sidekick Paddlefoot Hubbard

[Menehune Man]

I worked at the Bishop Museum tonight and was impressed by the quite large fun loving crowd there for this event. There was a big screen along with various lecturers and programs. The galleries were left open late also. Many people brought along their own private telescopes and the Honolulu Astonomical society shared theirs as well. While I worked the parking lot and other security measures. So when I got home I checked out the NASA site and saw some cool photos along with other accompaning info. Fun!

[mel]

Here are links to some photos:

Photo 1 (http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/jpg/goneinaflash.jpg)

Photo 2 (http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/jpg/bullseye.jpg)

Photo 3 (http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/almostthere.html)

Photo 4 (http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/facetoface.html)

Photo 5 (http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/jpg/confirmation-516.jpg)

Press Release from JPL (http://deepimpact.jpl.nasa.gov/press/050704jpl.html)

DEEP IMPACT KICKS OFF FOURTH OF JULY WITH DEEP SPACE FIREWORKS

After 172 days and 431 million kilometers (268 million miles) of deep space stalking, Deep Impact successfully reached out and touched comet Tempel*1. The collision between the coffee table-sized impactor and city-sized comet occurred at 1:52 a.m. EDT.

"What a way to kick off America's Independence Day," said Deep Impact Project Manager Rick Grammier of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "The challenges of this mission and teamwork that went into making it a success, should make all of us very proud."

"This mission is truly a smashing success," said Andy Dantzler, director of NASA's Solar System Division. "Tomorrow and in the days ahead we will know a lot more about the origins of our solar system."

Official word of the impact came 5 minutes after impact. At 1:57 a.m. EDT, an image from the spacecraft's medium resolution camera downlinked to the computer screens of the mission's science team showed the tell-tale signs of a high-speed impact.

"The image clearly shows a spectacular impact," said Deep Impact principal investigator Dr. Michael A'Hearn of the University of Maryland.....

Local angle from StarBulletin.com (http://starbulletin.com/2005/07/04/news/story1.html)

MORE THAN 2,000 people jammed into Bishop Museum's lawn last night, binoculars in hand and toddlers in tow, expecting to watch a celestial show.

Instead, most saw nothing.

The historic collision of a NASA spacecraft with a comet half the size of Manhattan was not viewable by the naked eye in most parts of the state, and some could hardly make it out with amateur telescope....

It is a good thing I chose to just stay at home and watch this on TV.

[Menehune Man]

Hey there Mel. I think you missed the point though not the moment on T.V.. There was a large screen hooked up through the internet to NASA for whomever chose to watch that way along with the camaraderie of all that were there at the museum or even Waikiki. It's okay you chose to remain home but may have had more fun out and about. :rolleyes:

[Pedro]

Hey there Mel. I think you missed the point though not the moment on T.V.. There was a large screen hooked up through the internet to NASA for whomever chose to watch that way along with the camaraderie of all that were there at the museum or even Waikiki. It's okay you chose to remain home but may have had more fun out and about. :rolleyes:

Hey Buddy it was a big a night last night. Lots of people came to the Museum. All in all it was a goodnight. I don't recall seeing any sudden flash of light in the sky and if there was it probably look no different than the stars twinkling brightly in the sky. I had fun at least for my part.

[mel]

Hey there Mel. I think you missed the point though not the moment on T.V.. There was a large screen hooked up through the internet to NASA for whomever chose to watch that way along with the camaraderie of all that were there at the museum or even Waikiki. It's okay you chose to remain home but may have had more fun out and about. :rolleyes:


Too much traffic, not enough parking, too crowded at Waikiki. Probably ditto at Bishop. Home is much more convenient. The TV feed came from the same source... NASA TV.

According to the newspaper reports hardly anyone on the ground looking up with their naked eye or even a small telescope or binoculars saw anything at all. The comet is the size of a small city and the probe that hit it was about the size of a VW Bug... so in the scope of the larger universe, you are trying to see a very tiny object that was to begin with, 80 million miles away from Earth.

I am sure the professionals up on Mauna Kea probably got a fairly good look at this through their powerful telescopes. I think ground control also aimed the orbiting Hubble telescope at this; photos are probably pending.

[Linkmeister]

From my blog:

I was on the roof of a neighbor's house with binoculars, but either the binocs were too weak or there was too much ambient light. I sure couldn't see the debris cloud. Of course, the collision was 83 million miles away.

I went back inside to watch the Olelo show. Most of the websites devoted to it were pretty slow, probably due to high traffic.

[kimo55]

I went to the club and watched the heavenly bodies.

[helen]

I guess the question that needs to be asked is has anyone seen the comet Tempel 1 before the impact?

[kimo55]

sorry, worked for me, but.

[Pedro]

I did and took a peecha of it:

http://us.f334.mail.yahoo.com/ym/ShowLetter/post_9_1098226530.jpg?viewimg=1&box=Inbox&MsgId=9867_5165479_170526_3014_484555_0_1117_63636 3_1256933322&bodyPart=2&filename=post_9_1098226530.jpg&tnef=&YY=83228&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b&Idx=0

This link something is wrong with it. I clicked on it but I get sent to Yahoo email which tells me I have to sign up. Maybe I am doing something wrong.

[kimo55]

so solly; irrelevant.

[helen]

Excuse me kimo how is the link you posted relevant to the discussion about the Deep Impact mission?