[meteorite-list] XMM-Newton Detects Water on Comet Tempel 1

[Ron Baalke]

http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEMPRZ5DIAE_index_0.html

XMM-Newton detects water on Tempel 1
European Space Agency 
4 July 2005

These images, taken by the Optical Monitor on board ESA's XMM-Newton
observatory on 3 and 4 July 2005, show a comparison between the states
of the comet before and just after impact.
 
The images were taken in the blue (top) and ultraviolet channels
(bottom) of the instrument. The ultraviolet images show the emissions of
hydroxyl ions, the direct decay product of water.

About 1.5 hours after the impact, the brightness of hydroxyl groups is
increased by a factor of about five. Later, about 4.5 hours after the
impact the ultraviolet emission is decreased again which indicates that
the peak has passed.

 
 
The presence of water in Tempel 1 is consistent with preliminary
measurements of the composition of the comet made last week by the ALICE
instrument on ESA's Rosetta spacecraft.
 
 
For more information:
 
Rita Schulz, Principal Investigator for XMM-Newton Tempel 1
observations, ESA-ESTEC (The Netherlands)
E-mail: rita.schulz @ esa.int

Norbert Schartel, ESA XMM-Newton Project Scientist, ESAC (Spain)
E-mail: norbert.schartel @ sciops.esa.int

Image credit: ESA/MSSL/Optical Monitor team. Image by Charo Gonzales and
Pedro Rodriguez, ESAC (Spain)