Fact Sheet
Holiday Fireworks
A torrent of gas, ice, and solid particles erupts from Comet Tempel 1 just 13 seconds after the Deep Impact probe slammed into its surface on the night of July 3. The mission's mothership snapped this image from a distance of several thousand miles. The image was computer enhanced to bring out details in the comet's surface. Scientists believe that images and other data from the encounter will help them determine the comet's original composition. Since comets are the "leftovers" from the formation of the planets, the readings should reveal new details about the cloud of gas and dust that gave birth to Earth and the other planets. [NASA/JPL/UMD]
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