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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

The Deep Impact crater on Tempel 1

The Deep Impact crater on Tempel 1
The Deep Impact crater on Tempel 1 This pair of images shows the before-and-after comparison of the part of comet Tempel 1 that was hit by the Deep Impact impactor. The left-hand image is a composite made from images obtained by Deep Impact in July 2005. The right-hand image, from Stardust, shows arrows identifying the rim of the crater caused by the impactor. The crater is estimated to be 150 meters in diameter. This image also shows a brighter mound in the center of the crater likely created when material from the impact fell back into the crater. NASA / JPL / Cornell