Space probe slams into comet

Running as planned, NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft released a 360-kilogram (816-pound) impactor probe on July 4th that collided with the comet Tempel 1. The super-fast probe generated an immense flash of light. Meanwhile, on the Deep Impact mothership, camera's fixed on the collision captured images in the light of the collision. Deep Impact scientists theorize the 820-pound impactor was turned to vapor deep below the comet's surface when the two collided at 1:52 am July 4, at a speed of about 10 kilometers per second (6.3 miles per second or 23,000 miles per hour).

The goal of the Deep Impact mission was to provide an in-depth picture of the composition of a comet. Because the materials found on comets have changed very little since the formation of our solar system, mission scientists hope the project will answer basic questions about how the solar system formed.