Universe
ID: 11892
Comets abound in our solar system. But despite years of observations using ground and space-based telescopes, scientists have speculated on this basic question: Could material buried deep within a comet’s interior have seeded life on our planet? To find an answer, on July 4, 2005, NASA crashed a washing machine-sized probe into a comet the size of Manhattan. The probe was released from NASA’s Deep Impact spacecraft, which captured images of comet Tempel 1 before, during and after the collision. The impact produced a dramatic spray of ice and dust that burst from a newly formed crater. Analysis of the images revealed that comets harbor essential and ancient ingredients of life, including organic material that may have been delivered to Earth billions of years ago. Interior ices and substances in the comet’s core were also preserved, suggesting that they are protected from the sun’s heat. Watch the videos to see how the event unfolded.
Deep Impact
Story Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Comet impact animation courtesy of Maas Digital
Comet impact video and images courtesy of NASA/JPL/UMD
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Comet impact animation courtesy of Maas Digital
Comet impact video and images courtesy of NASA/JPL/UMD
Short URL to share this page:
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11892
Keywords:
SVS >> App
NASA Science >> Universe
https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/11892
Keywords:
SVS >> App
NASA Science >> Universe
