Chandra Monitors X-rays from Comet Tempel 1
This false-color image shows comet Tempel 1 as seen by the Chandra X-ray Observatory on June 30, 2005. The comet was bright and condensed. The Chandra data indicate that the X-rays observed from Tempel 1 are primarily due to the interaction between highly charged oxygen ions in the solar wind and neutral gases from the comet. Chandra observed the comet during the collision of NASA's Deep Impact impactor probe with Tempel 1 on July 4, and it will continue to monitor the comet in the upcoming weeks. These observations could provide information about the expansion of the ejected material away from the comet.
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The image is an X-ray image of Comet Tempel 1, which is a celestial body in our solar system. The comet has a yellow-green hue on a mottled green, purple and blue background, with a bright circular source in the center. This image shows comet Tempel 1 as seen by the Chandra X-ray Observatory on June 30, 2005. The comet was bright and condensed. The Chandra data indicate that the X-rays observed from Tempel 1 are primarily due to the interaction between highly charged oxygen ions in the solar wind and neutral gases from the comet. A label near the top shows the direction of the Sun, pointing towards 1 o'clock as well as two labels listing the name of the comet and the Chandra observatory along the bottom.