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This image of Comet Borrelly was taken on September 22, 2001, using the National Science Foundation's 2.1-meter telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, AZ.
Scientists from the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) and the University of Arizona are studying the comet from Kitt Peak in support of a NASA spacecraft mission called Deep Space 1. This mission flew within 2,200 kilometers (about 1,400 miles) of the comet a few hours later on September 22, in an attempt to take close-up pictures of its icy nucleus.
Comet Borrelly makes a good target for study now, as it is only 200 million kilometers (125 million miles) from the Sun - the closest it will get for another seven years. The Sun's heat makes the gases escaping from the nucleus flow faster and more thickly, making it easier to study them.
CREDIT: NOAO/AURA/NSF
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NOAO is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc. under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation. Last updated 25 September, 2001. |
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