JULY 6-JULY 12.2005
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
19
d Press
SPACE
Probe makes a smash hit
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PASADENA, Calif. — They weren't a red, white and blue spectacle, but the cosmic fireworks NASA created by blasting a hole in a comet were something for scientists to cheer about this Fourth of July weekend.
The brighter-than-expected white flash of light climaxed a daring mission "that's something to be proud of on America's birthday," said Rick Grammier, the mission's project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
About 12 hours after the barrel-sized Deep Impact space probe smashed into a comet half the size of Manhattan, scientists showed off dramatic, sci-fi-like images. Photos shot by the impactor probe as it awaited its suicidal collision revealed for the first time the surface of the comet Tempel 1 as it closed in at 23,000 mph.
The close-ups revealed not so much the pickle-shaped comet that scientists originally
thought, but one that looked more like a potato, lumpy and pocked. Michael A'Hearn, an astronomer at the University of Maryland and Deep Impact principal investigator, likened it to a muffin or loaf of bread.
The impact released a bright flash followed by a larger one as a plume of trapped gas and debris spewed from the comet's belly into space, backlit by the sun. The cloud blocked scientists' view of the excavated crater and it could be weeks before the dust disappears. Still, scientists were confident they accomplished their mission because they were able to see the crater's shadow in the photos.
Scientists said the comet appears to have a soft, dusty surface with crater-like features. Trapped ice seems to be below the surface, possibly containing the primordial ingredients of the solar system. Schultz said. Scientists are hoping to get to the core of this rocky, ice-filled structure to learn about the origins of the sun and planets.