Photos of Comet Tempel 1 From NASA Space Missions

Close to You

The Kitt Peak National Observatory's 2.1-meter telescope observed comet Tempel 1 on April 11, 2005, when the comet was near its closest approach to the Earth.

Kapow! Comet Tempel 1 Gets Smacked

This image of Comet Tempel 1 was taken by NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft on July 4, 2005, 67 seconds after a probe crashed into the comet.

Deep Insight: Comet Tempel 1's Dusty Secrets

This false-color image shows comet Tempel 1 about 50 minutes after Deep Impact's probe smashed into its surface. The colors represent reflected sunlight, with white indicating the brightest materials and black showing the faintest. This brightness is a measure of reflected sunlight. The Sun is located to the right, out of the picture. The blue speck in the upper left corner is a star.

Deep Impact's Comet Tempel 1 Visit

Deep Impact gave scientists their first close-up look at the interior of a comet when it hit. Here, an artist illustrates the encounter.

Icy Bits From Comet Tempel 1

This photo from NASA's Deep Impact probe shows part of Comet Hartley 2’s nucleus, with the sun illuminating it from the right. Also visible is a distinct cloud of individual icy particles. The picture was taken on Nov. 4, 2010, the day the spacecraft made its closest approach to the comet.

Comet Tempel 1 Unleashes Massive Outburst

A jet of dust spews jet extends about 2,200 kilometers from Comet Tempel 1 in this earlier image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope on June 14, 2005.

Where the Sun Does Shine

This image composite shows comet Tempel 1 in visible (left) and infrared (right) light (figure 1). The infrared picture highlights the warm, or sunlit, side of the comet, where NASA's Deep Impact probe later hit. These data were acquired about six minutes before impact.

Deep Impact Photographs Comet Tempel 1

Deep Impact's first image of comet Tempel 1, taken on April 25, 2005. Image

Comet Tempel 1 is All Fluff

A composite of images taken by the impactor targeting sensor on the spacecraft that collided with comet Tempel 1. The arrows point out two areas where the surface is smooth instead of spotted with depressions. Image © Science

Close-up of Comet Tempel 1 Surface

This Comet Tempel 1 photo taken by NASA's Deep Impact impactor probe reveals a close look at the comet just before impact on July 4, 2005 (Eastern Time).