I suspect a contact binary with an infilled neck...it makes more sense from a dynamic physical standpoint.
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And of course :
www.planetary.org : Animation of the five closest-approach Hartley 2 images
www.planetary.org : Animation of the five closest-approach Hartley 2 images
Animation of Deep Impact close-approach images
About an hour after its closest approach of Hartley 2, Deep Impact downlinked five precious images taken during the nearest part of its flyby. The top two images were taken 82 and 16 seconds before closest approach, and the bottom three 18, 57, and 117 seconds after closest approach (image times are 13:58:07, 13:59:13, 13:59:47, 14:00:26, and 14:01:26 UTC on November 4, 2010). They show a very active comet with numerous jets. Credit: NASA / JPL / UMD / animation by Emily Lakdawalla
BTW, there is a new conference scheduled at 4 PM EDT (that's ummm 20:00 UTC) on NASA TV, I'm sure with much more juicy data and images!!
Thanks Wayne,
I will watching, though cannot hear anything as have no sound!!!!
Thanks for you thoughts for the double lobed shape. A contact binary comet, very interesting. In that case, one would be approx 1.4 KM long & the other at 800 metres long, joined together.
The IR data will be interesting. Will see if both components are similar or not in composition.
Yes your times are correct. Your clocks are still on Daylight Saving Time & ours are now on GMT / UTC our proper time. :mrgreen:
Andrew Brown.
I will watching, though cannot hear anything as have no sound!!!!
Thanks for you thoughts for the double lobed shape. A contact binary comet, very interesting. In that case, one would be approx 1.4 KM long & the other at 800 metres long, joined together.
The IR data will be interesting. Will see if both components are similar or not in composition.
Yes your times are correct. Your clocks are still on Daylight Saving Time & ours are now on GMT / UTC our proper time. :mrgreen:
Andrew Brown.
The curious (infilled?) neck is very smooth. I wonder why the dust accumulates here, instead of the heads. Maybe the centrifugal forces from the rotation is high enough on the heads to counteract the weak gravity that dust cannot accumulate in these locations. I would be interested to see an 'effective gravity' contour map of the object.
Hi silylene,
I will imagie NASA will use the so called 'Spuds' program (used to shape up Phobos, Deimos & asteroid 951 Gaspra initially, when it became apparent that many irregulalrly shaped bodies would be seen up close in the coming years), where they can generate 3D maps of the comet (& asteroids & irregular moons such as Phobos, Deimos, Amalthea, Epimetheus, Hypeion, Phoebe, etc) & then be able to generate gravity profiles from that.
I doubt though I do not know for sure, whether Deep impact was able to measure Comet Hartley 2's gravity (small size, low mass & high speed encounter @ 12.3 KMS).
The distribution of the boulders though will be of immense value & the nucleus was well seen from several different angles, so perhaps there is enough information from the images alone to be able to generate a gravity map of the nucleus.
I am looking forward to the spectral & temperature data too, as well as more & further cleaned up images.
The rotational period appears to be approx 18 hours, based on the Arecibo Radar Observations the other day. Quite a small body rotating quite slowly, wonder if that would generate much of a centrifuge??
So far looks to be a huge success.
Andrew Brown.
I will imagie NASA will use the so called 'Spuds' program (used to shape up Phobos, Deimos & asteroid 951 Gaspra initially, when it became apparent that many irregulalrly shaped bodies would be seen up close in the coming years), where they can generate 3D maps of the comet (& asteroids & irregular moons such as Phobos, Deimos, Amalthea, Epimetheus, Hypeion, Phoebe, etc) & then be able to generate gravity profiles from that.
I doubt though I do not know for sure, whether Deep impact was able to measure Comet Hartley 2's gravity (small size, low mass & high speed encounter @ 12.3 KMS).
The distribution of the boulders though will be of immense value & the nucleus was well seen from several different angles, so perhaps there is enough information from the images alone to be able to generate a gravity map of the nucleus.
I am looking forward to the spectral & temperature data too, as well as more & further cleaned up images.
The rotational period appears to be approx 18 hours, based on the Arecibo Radar Observations the other day. Quite a small body rotating quite slowly, wonder if that would generate much of a centrifuge??
So far looks to be a huge success.
Andrew Brown.
Why are the boundaries between the connector and the terminal parts so sharp?
Also that elongated feature resembling a fish larva, for lack of a better analogy, surprisingly (to me) appeared to be a part of a larger oval or circular feature.
I have to say that this flyby and these photos made my day. Simply astounding.
Also that elongated feature resembling a fish larva, for lack of a better analogy, surprisingly (to me) appeared to be a part of a larger oval or circular feature.
I have to say that this flyby and these photos made my day. Simply astounding.
Thanks jumpjack2.
Great Animation. :shock:
Also what is apparent from your animation as well as the one provided by EarthlingX earlier is if you look carefully on the nearer larger lobe, there appears to be a 'ridge' a short 'hilly' section on one side.
Interesting questions kpstinga.
You are correct, the transition is very sharp between the bouldered ends & the smooth 'neck'. Perhaps the centrifuge that silylene suggested may be the cause or just the slight increase in gravity in the lobes or both!!!.
We'll know much more when the spectral data & overlays are produced.
I quite like this one, only just appeared on the EPOXI site. I have made an enlarged sharpened crop. It is an earlier view, but what is very apparent is that the coma appears fanned over the lobes, but very little over the 'neck'.
Andrew Brown.
Great Animation. :shock:
Also what is apparent from your animation as well as the one provided by EarthlingX earlier is if you look carefully on the nearer larger lobe, there appears to be a 'ridge' a short 'hilly' section on one side.
Interesting questions kpstinga.
You are correct, the transition is very sharp between the bouldered ends & the smooth 'neck'. Perhaps the centrifuge that silylene suggested may be the cause or just the slight increase in gravity in the lobes or both!!!.
We'll know much more when the spectral data & overlays are produced.
I quite like this one, only just appeared on the EPOXI site. I have made an enlarged sharpened crop. It is an earlier view, but what is very apparent is that the coma appears fanned over the lobes, but very little over the 'neck'.
Andrew Brown.
Thank You very much jumpjack2.
I for one very much appreciate your work. Stunning.
Do I have your permission to download them?? If not, I can assure you that I will not.
Andrew Brown.
I for one very much appreciate your work. Stunning.
Do I have your permission to download them?? If not, I can assure you that I will not.
Andrew Brown.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpr2iqxYTf4[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3nk_q9wCZg[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN7d21FecOA[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3nk_q9wCZg[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN7d21FecOA[/youtube]
SDC : Rare Close Encounter With Comet Hartley 2 Surprises and Thrills Scientists
...By Mike Wall
SPACE.com Senior Writer
posted: 04 November 2010
07:06 pm ET
A spacecraft's close encounter with a comet today (Nov. 4) went off without a hitch, and the data it's beaming down is already surprising scientists.
NASA's Deep Impact probe zipped to within 435 miles (700 kilometers) of Comet Hartley 2 at 10:01 a.m. EDT (1401 GMT) today (Nov. 4), and it sent to Earth the first five close-up photos of the peanut-shaped comet about an hour later.
Scientists are already poring over these images, as well as thousands of others Deep Impact has taken of the comet since early September. The spacecraft's observations paint a picture of a strange comet that's tremendously active for its small size, with carbon-dioxide-fueled jets spouting voluminously from a rough, textured surface. [First close-up photos of Comet Hartley 2]
Researchers hope the flyby — one of just five missions that have photographed a comet's nucleus up-close — will help them gain a better understanding of comet structure and behavior. Since comets are leftovers from the solar system's early days, such knowledge could reveal a great deal about how our cosmic neighborhood came to be, scientists have said.
But researchers stressed that there's still a great deal of work to be done, as Deep Impact has already delivered a mountain of data and will keep pouring it on through late November.
"The engineers did a fantastic job of getting us data," said Mike A'Hearn of the University of Maryland, principal investigator of Deep Impact's comet flyby mission, which NASA calls EPOXI. "The scientific work is just beginning now."
Hi jumpjack2,
Afraid I do not have the red/blue 3D glasses, but I can see that is quite some animation.
Below, a NASA enhanced view of jets on 103P/Hartley 2.
Credit: NASA / JPL / UMD.
What is obvious is that many of the jets are on the night side of the comet. I guess that warmth built up during the day sets them off & due to the comet's slow rotation, approx once every 18 hours, solar warmth permeates to a depth & it takes a while after sunset for that area to cool off, so the jets persist for a while on the night side.
Also it appears that the 'smaller' end of the comet appears more active than the 'larger' end.
The spectral & temperature data, particularly when overlain on these images is going to be interesting.
The boulders are quite impressive, distribution is not even & there appears to be a 'smoothish' area on the larger end & appears to be a few very minor rilles, not quite grooves like those on Phobos or 21 Lutetia, but some very shallow & narrow rilles.
Another thing is that graben type valley right on the end of the comet. Certainly it cannot be a true graben on such a small body. It cannot be any more than 100 metres wide & perhaps 25 metres deep, but certainly looks like a fault of some sort, unless there were jets there at one time that are now extinct????
Andrew Brown.
Afraid I do not have the red/blue 3D glasses, but I can see that is quite some animation.
Below, a NASA enhanced view of jets on 103P/Hartley 2.
Credit: NASA / JPL / UMD.
What is obvious is that many of the jets are on the night side of the comet. I guess that warmth built up during the day sets them off & due to the comet's slow rotation, approx once every 18 hours, solar warmth permeates to a depth & it takes a while after sunset for that area to cool off, so the jets persist for a while on the night side.
Also it appears that the 'smaller' end of the comet appears more active than the 'larger' end.
The spectral & temperature data, particularly when overlain on these images is going to be interesting.
The boulders are quite impressive, distribution is not even & there appears to be a 'smoothish' area on the larger end & appears to be a few very minor rilles, not quite grooves like those on Phobos or 21 Lutetia, but some very shallow & narrow rilles.
Another thing is that graben type valley right on the end of the comet. Certainly it cannot be a true graben on such a small body. It cannot be any more than 100 metres wide & perhaps 25 metres deep, but certainly looks like a fault of some sort, unless there were jets there at one time that are now extinct????
Andrew Brown.
I read somewhere that these are just medium resolution images, and hi-res images are currently being downloaded!! :shock:
Hi jumpjack2,
I have seen that too. If so than we have not seen the best yet. Mind you I am very impressed with what we have already!!!! :mrgreen:
Andrew Brown.
I have seen that too. If so than we have not seen the best yet. Mind you I am very impressed with what we have already!!!! :mrgreen:
Andrew Brown.
jumpjack2":1b0l8cjq said:
Yeah I gathered from what was said at the press conference that the hi-res was out of focus and so image processing was going to take longer.
alpha_centauri":177e5f9d said:
Yes, the HRI was apparently affected by the hot humid weather in Florida prior to launch. One thing I don't get is that, aren't the instruments all sealed units??? Also was not the fairing on the Delta 2 that launched Deep Impact sealed too??
Below Deep Impact being encapsulated in the fairing.
Launch of Deep Impact Delta 2 on: Wednesday 12th January 2005.
I watched the launch live on BBC TV as it was covered here in the United Kingdom live, also saw the images of Tempel 1 arrive live & now those from Hartley 2 live, so I've followed all of the key aspects of the Deep Impact mission live.
Plus my name was one of those on the projectile that become part of Tempel 1!!!!!!
Andrew Brown.
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