Comet Tempel1’s shining moment bright but brief

THOSE who missed Comet Tempel1 last night may not have the opportunity to see it again, as astronomers are unsure how long more it will be visible for.

Estimates on its visibility range from just one night to several weeks, depending on the brightness of the comet, after the NASA mission, Deep Impact, exploded a probe on its surface.

“We don’t know yet how long the comet will actually be visible for, however it is likely to be days rather than weeks,” said editor of Astronomy Ireland, David Moore.

“Its brightness depends on what impact the comet made. If the crater is deep but not wide, sunlight won’t get down into it. However, if it is a shallow, large area, similar to a saucer, then when the pristine surface is exposed to the sunlight, the sun will boil off the frozen gas and the water ice. This shall steam to engulf the comet and will in turn brighten it.”

Watches were set up across the country last night, allowing people to see the comet. Centres in Phoenix Park, Dublin; Kilmihil, Clare; Letterkenny, Donegal; Ballyphehane, Cork; Killerig, Carlow; Blackrock, Dundalk and Waterpark, Waterford were equipped with telescopes for this “unique” occasion.

“This whole mission is quite unique as this kind of interaction in space hasn’t happened since the 1970s,” Mr Moore said.

“There were deliberate crashes into the moon back then, but not since and I can’t imagine that there will be another deliberate crash on another comet in the future,” he said.