[meteorite-list] Deep Impact Imaged by Mt. Palomar Telescope

[Ron Baalke]

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/deepimpact/multimedia/deepimpact-palomar-224.html

Deep Impact on Its Way

[Image]
Deep Impact seen from Mt. Palomar telescope

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

+ Higher resolution image
  http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA07266