First XMM-Newton images of impact

4 July 2005
Images of Comet 9P/Tempel 1 taken by the Optical Monitor on ESA's XMM-Newton observatory, from two minutes before impact and until seven minutes after impact.

The first two images were taken just before impact, and in the following images the brightening due to impact is visible.

These images were taken with the Optical Monitor blue filter, with which it is possible to measure the outcoming gas and dust. More images from the Optical Monitor are expected in the next hours.

Measurements with other XMM-Newton instruments should provide information about the chemical composition of the outcoming material.


For more information:

Rita Schulz, Principal Investigator for XMM-Newton Tempel 1 observations, ESA-ESTEC (The Netherlands)
E-mail: rita.schulz @ esa.int

Norbert Schartel, ESA XMM-Newton Project Scientist, ESAC (Spain)
E-mail: norbert.schartel @ sciops.esa.int

Image credit: ESA/MSSL/Optical Monitor team. Image by Pedro Rodriguez, ESAC (Spain)