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PIA07266: Deep Impact on Its Way
 Target Name:  Tempel 1
 Is a satellite of:  Sol (our sun)
 Mission:  Deep Impact
 Spacecraft:  Deep Impact
 Instrument:  Hale Telescope 200-inch 
 Product Size:  224 x 319 pixels (w x h)
 Produced By:  California Institute of Technology 
 Full-Res TIFF:  PIA07266.tif (214.8 kB)
 Full-Res JPEG:  PIA07266.jpg (36.38 kB)

Click on the image above to download a moderately sized image in JPEG format (possibly reduced in size from original)

Original Caption Released with Image:

This Jan. 13 photograph was taken by Mt Palomar's 200-inch telescope as the Deep Impact spacecraft was at a distance of about 260,000 kilometers (163,000 miles) from Earth and moving at a speed of about 16,000 kilometers per hour (10,000 miles per hour). The high speed of the spacecraft causes it to appear as a long streak across the sky in the constellation Virgo during the 10-minute exposure time of the image.

The spacecraft will travel to comet Tempel 1 and release an impactor, creating a crater on the surface of the comet. Scientists believe the exposed materials may give clues to the formation of our solar system.

Image Credit:
NASA/JPL/CalTech

Image Addition Date:
2005-01-18