Deep Impact was only 50,000,000 kilometers from 9P/Tempel 1 at 2005-May-09 23:35:22 UTC.

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Unless that Russian astrologer manages to stop it. . . :roll: 8)

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Keeper of the Jabberwock

here we go 49872220

what a great mission, this has been a great space idea
I hope this comet exploration works out well

Sadly I remember the last time I was logged on to something live, it was hearing Genesis going back to Earth with a big 'crunch'

So, what, about two hours to go? :P

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You're a coward and a liar and a thOOF - Bart Sibrel

well thats kinda the idea this time :wink:

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If this writing is blue you're going too fast!

Maybe the astrologer can get some judge to issue a restraining order; ask NASA to "pause" it for a few weeks while he hears arguments. #-o

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At night the stars put on a show for free (Carole King)

One Earth, One Sky - IYA 2009
All moderation in purple

It's a shame all the worlds lawyers didn't get a ride with it.

Nick =D>

any new reports on this one ?

its down to 48410555

Sounds like a winning lotto ticket.

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Everything I need to know I learned through Googling.

I hope someone at JPL gets to shout "Ramming Speed!" just before impact.

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At night the stars put on a show for free (Carole King)

One Earth, One Sky - IYA 2009
All moderation in purple

"Iceberg, right ahead!"

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"Flying in space is risky business, but just staying on this planet is risky business too." - John Young, astronaut

Just a thought... after the impact can we expect to see a substantial increase in the comets tail for a period afterwards.....??

Hi Mainframes

This is something that we are all wondering and looking forward to. From what I have read, most people seem to expect very little increase in brightness/acivity as a result of the impact because it is a relativly small impact. However it depends on just what is below the surface and how it reacts to suddenly being exposed to the warmth from the Sun.

Personally i do expect some increase in activity. The question is, big or small.

Regards

PS: It is a big like waiting for the Shoemaker-Levy impact!

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Why is it that in a traffic jam the other lane always moves faster?

I can tell you - Great Cthulu will not be pleased.

Look what SL9 did to Jupiter in 94, just wish we could have a string of impacters whacking Temple every few minutes. Weather permiting I'm planning on being at our club observatory on the night of impact.

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http://www.rrac.org

Deep Impact Mission Status Report, May 13

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I've just read Japanese probe for asteroid 25143 Itokawa will get to its target next month and return samples to Earth in June 2007.

The probe uses an ion engine and now no more than 450,000 kilometers from 25143 Itokawa.

http://www.hayabusa.isas.jaxa.jp/

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Deep Impact Comet Crater Diameter Contest

http://www.planetary.org/deepimpact/contest_enter.html

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"Flying in space is risky business, but just staying on this planet is risky business too." - John Young, astronaut

Unless that astrologer has 'got' at me I'm sure you have been ToSeeked on this one but I can't find the link just now.

Edit: Got it!

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By asking questions we sometimes get the wrong answers, from wrong answers we learn to ask the right questions.

Interesting that Superluminal mentioned Shoemaker-Levy 9. A large percentage of astronomers/scientists prior to the July, 1994 impacts stated that they thought there would be no discernible effect on Jupiter, and thought that the comet fragments would be swallowed up by Jupiter's atmosphere, not leaving any trace of the event. Some even provided mathematical models proving the correctness of this idea.

As we now know, and should continue to realize, actual events don't always follow mathematical models and scientific hypotheses. Therefore, the effect on the tail will be determined after the event, by observation.

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An even larger percentage disagreed though.
Depends upon what is being modeled. The times of impact were pretty close--we've got a pretty good handle on astrodynamics. But they weren't even certain of the sizes or makeup of the comet, and we had never seen any sort of impact before.

Of course, that's exactly why we're doing this experiment now. If we were very confident in the results, it'd be difficult to justify the expense.

Deep Impact was only 40,000,000 kilometers from 9P/Tempel 1 at 2005-May-20 13:39:11 UTC.

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[quote="Maksutov
As we now know, and should continue to realize, actual events don't always follow mathematical models and scientific hypotheses. Therefore, the effect on the tail will be determined after the event, by observation.[/quote]

CFD is a case in point. I think we have gone too far with mathematical models when we should be building real hardware.

Chalk one more up to the Goldin generation and our don't-care Congress.

I had e-mailed the Deep Impact sight several months ago suggesting that they have a contest to name the two spacecraft, the way Spirit and Oppurtunity were named. I got a reply that they where planning on such a contest. But, I guess with impact time so close now there's no chance they will have such a contest.

I had two names ready. Seneca, for the fly-by craft. Seneca was a 1st century Roman scientist, who wrote a book on comets that had remarkably ideas about comets.

For the impacter: Messier, after the comet hunter Charles Messier. I thought how fitting, that a man frustrated by all those insignificant deep sky objects while comet hunting, should have a space probe bearing his name, be the first manmade object to go up and smack a comet.

Anyway those were my suggestions. Just wonder what names they would have come up with?

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I'm not a scientist, but I play one on the internet.
http://www.rrac.org

Did you send them your name suggestions?

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Moraliser Overtax Porn

Unfortunatley, no. I recieved a reply the very next day. They said they were planning on naming the probes, so I was waiting for them to announce the contest. But now this close to impact, I doubt they will do it.

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I'm not a scientist, but I play one on the internet.
http://www.rrac.org

The accuracy of a model depends on the the accuracy of the input data and on the validity of the assumptions made. Just because some models turn out to produce incorrect answers is nowhere near a reason to throw out modeling as a means of prediction. It is simply an indication that something was wrong (either inputs or assumptions) with the model.

Deep Impact was only 30,000,000 kilometers from 9P/Tempel 1 at 2005-May-31 13:23:48 UTC.

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Probe heads for comet, but camera is unfocused

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