Comet Tempel 1 from the impactor, just before Deep Impact comet strike. The Deep Impact spacecraft launched a 360-kilogram impactor at comet 9P/Tempel

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Comet Tempel 1 from the impactor, just before Deep Impact comet strike. The Deep Impact spacecraft launched a 360-kilogram impactor at comet 9P/Tempel 1, which successfully struck it at over ten kilometres per second on 4th July 2005. This image was captured 30 seconds before that impact. The impact caused the ejection of a large amount of interior material. The mission was launched on 12 January 2005. It was designed to study the composition of a comet, as comets are relics from the formation of the solar system. As such, they can provide much information about its history and formation.

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Size: 2505px × 2505px
Photo credit: © NASA/JPL-CALTECH/UMD/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 04/07/2005, 1, 21st, 4th, 9p/tempel, astronomical, astronomy, astrophysical, astrophysics, black--white, century, comet, cometary, deep, impact, july, mission, monochrome, nucleus, probe, solar, space, spacecraft, system, tempel