This Herschel/SPIRE image of Comet 103P/Hartley 2 was taken on 24 October 2010 at 250 microns, and covers a region of 8 arcminutes x 5 arcminutes. At the time that this image was obtained the comet was at a distance of 17.2 million km from the Herschel Space Observatory.
Herschel has obtained unique, sensitive far-infrared continuum images constraining the size of the large dust particles, while spectra reveal the distribution of water molecules released from the nucleus as about 230 kg of ices evaporating every second. This is the first time a comet has been imaged in this region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
The Sun symbol and arrow indicate the projected direction towards the Sun.
Note:
Herschel is one of several observatories participating in a global astronomical campaign to observe and study the short period (6.46 years) Comet 103P/Hartley 2 before, during and after a flyby by the NASA EPOXI (Extrasolar Planet Observatory and Deep Impact Extended Investigation) mission on 4 November 2010.
In the period 24 October to 17 November 2010, Herschel will use its complement of state-of the-art instruments, covering the range 55-671 μm, to observe the far-infrared and submillimeter spectrum and to image the thermal dust radiation of Comet 103P/Hartley 2.
Photo credit: ESA/Herschel/HSSO Consortium
Note: For news about another satellite that has been observing Comet Hartley 2, see Odin Satellite Observes Water In Comet 103P Hartley 2.
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