Deep Impact

The picture of the comet and the white cloud debris around one side of it is amazing. This is great.

My usual cautious almost fatalistic approach to comets has again been justified buy Temple1, hope for alot but expect little. It looks like there is no way it will be visible with the naked eye, and it seems like it hardy brightened at all, except for the initial impact.

but, on the bright side, the short video clips on the following site a amazing.

www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/deepimpact/main/index.html

Have a peek, its definitely worth it. :shock:

Australian observers are reporting the following:

Overall magnitude of the comet is very much the same. Time of some observations 2005 July 4: 10.30UT and 12.00 UT - no discernable difference in brightness - both 11.5 magnitude.

Overall there is no sign so far of any overall increase in brightness, apart from the central condensation. Australian astronomers reporting much the same as the previous night.

Some observers in Australia have reported a two magnitude increase after the impact, but the condensation has faded again after about two hours to about 11.5 mag., which is the pre impact magnitude, there has been no structure in condensation or coma.

Eamonn A

I just heard on the news that astronomy Ireland are saying it may even be visable to the naked eye. Given the right weather conditions, what are the odds? Are they just talking it up coz they have comet watches on tonight?

I only got a bit of DM on the radio this morning, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt that I misheard him. But yea, if I heard right they were saying that the impact would cause a debris cloud that would make the comet visible possibly to the naked eye. Not quite the usual Blazing references, but definitly implied it would be visible to the casual observer. Ah well.

The concensus from the online forums I've looked at seem to report it about the same magnitude as last night.

Pete Lawrence in Selsey has an image at www.globalobservers.net/comets/tempel1_2.html seems very faint.

Has anyone heard what diameter the impact crater was from the blast :

I only got a bit of DM on the radio this morning, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt that I misheard him. But yea, if I heard right they were saying that the impact would cause a debris cloud that would make the comet visible possibly to the naked eye. Not quite the usual Blazing references, but definitly implied it would be visible to the casual observer. Ah well.

In fairness I think DM said it *could* be visible. At that early stage there were no magnitude estimates and pre-impact even Karen Meech had suggested that it may reach naked eye visibility. I did a couple of pieces for RTE news yesterday evening and at no time did I suggest that it would be visible to the naked eye. I deliberately said that a telescope or binoculars would be necessary.

Anyway as it turned out, from the phoenix park, the sky was clear everywhere except the south west!!! Typical Anyway had a projector and laptop there so at least we could show some of those nasa images and some other bits and pieces. 500+ people showed up so at least they got to see something they may not have seen otherwise!