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Comet Tempel-1 from Stardust NeXT Spacecraft (Natural Colors; credits for the additional process. and color.: Dr Paolo C. Fienga - Lunexit Team)
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Caption NASA:"This image mosaic shows 4 different views of comet Tempel-1 as seen by NASA's Stardust Spacecraft as it flew by it on February 14, 2011.
The images progress in time beginning at upper left, moving to upper right, then proceeding from lower left to lower right. When the Spacecraft first approached, it got a clear look at the same Surface that was imaged previously by NASA's Deep Impact Spacecraft in 2005. Deep Impact sent a projectile into the Comet, creating a crater that is located in the upper left image, but is difficult to see at this particular contrast level.
As Stardust flew closer to the Comet, it began to see New Territory that had not been imaged before. The New Territory appears on the left side of the upper right image. The Deep Impact Crater is also located in this view, on the right side.
Both the upper right and lower left images are the Closest Approach images for Stardust, taken at 3" before, and 3" after it. The images were taken from a distance of about 185 Km (approx. 115 miles). In the lower left image, the vast majority of Terrain pictured had not been seen until now. The fourth image, at lower right, shows Stardust's view as the Spacecraft was on the way out.
The image at upper left was taken 15" before the Encounter (or Closest Approach) from a distance of approx. 244 Km (about 152 miles); the image at lower right was taken 15" after the Encounter, from a distance of approx. 245 Km (about 152 miles)".
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(Dettagli)
