Comet ISON
Videos
Comet ISON, formally known as C/2012 S1, was a sungrazing comet from the Oort cloud which was discovered on 21 September 2012 by Vitaly Nevsky and Artyom Novichonok.
Comet ISON as captured by TRAPPIST on 15 November 2013
Comet ISON, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope on 10 April 2013—near Jupiter's orbit; also, enhanced (coma model ratio) version
Comet ISON seen from the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter on 8 October 2013, as it passes through the constellation of Leo
Deep Impact (spacecraft)
Videos
Deep Impact was a NASA space probe launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on January 12, 2005. It was designed to study the interior composition of the comet Tempel 1 (9P/Tempel), by releasing an impactor into the comet. At 05:52 UTC on July 4, 2005, the Impactor successfully collided with the comet's nucleus. The impact excavated debris from the interior of the nucleus, forming an impact crater. Photographs taken by the spacecraft showed the comet to be more dusty and less icy than had been expected. The impact generated an unexpectedly large and bright dust cloud, obscuring the view of the impact crater.
Artist's impression of the Deep Impact space probe after deployment of the Impactor
Cameras of the Flyby spacecraft, HRI at right, MRI at left
Deep Impact prior to launch on a Delta II rocket
Comet Tempel 1 imaged on April 25, 2005, by the Deep Impact spacecraft