NASA has given the go-ahead for a spacecraft to take a $279 million
potshot at a comet. The Deep Impact craft will hurl a 350-kilogram lump of
copper at comet Tempel 1 on 4 July 2005. Astronomers hope that the impact will
teach them something about a comet’s innards, as the blast will expose and
vaporise some of the interior ice. This will help them assess the prospects for
diverting wayward comets that threaten the Earth, says lead researcher Mike
A’Hearn of the University of Maryland in College Park.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New ¾«¶«´«Ã½
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Comment
Is there a word for the Wiki page for the Ship of Theseus paradox?
Regulars
Comment
Unsettling dance piece explores how AI is warping human relationships
Culture
Life
New ¾«¶«´«Ã½ recommends Turi King's expert book about DNA's secrets
Culture
Life
Capitalism has warped our understanding of ecology and life’s origins
Leader
Popular articles
Trending New ¾«¶«´«Ã½ articles
1
First quantum grandfather clock could probe where gravity comes from
2
Embryos made without sperm or eggs reveal why many pregnancies fail
3
We may finally know why gold stays so shiny
4
Wealthy people with environmental ideals are the biggest emitters
5
Photos reveal unexpected details from the world's first atomic test
6
New ¾«¶«´«Ã½ recommends Turi King's expert book about DNA's secrets
7
Does gravity create reality? A shocking path to a theory of everything
8
How a radical new view of life could reveal its origin – and aliens
9
How I used psychology to come back from the worst year of my life
10
The day quantum computers break the internet
