[FPSPACE] FW: HUBBLE PROVIDES SPECTACULAR DETAIL OF A COMET'S

[Dante Wynter]

Wasn't this one of the comets CONTOUR supposed to fly by?  Sure would've 
been interesting.

Dante

>Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 14:30:43 -0400
>From: "LARRY KLAES" <ljk4 at msn.com>
>Subject: [FPSPACE] FW: HUBBLE PROVIDES SPECTACULAR DETAIL OF A COMET'S
>	BREAKUP (STScI-PRC06-18)
>To: fpspace at friends-partners.org
>Message-ID: <BAY114-F388262C9A437F915EADE8C9CBD0 at phx.gbl>
>Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
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>
>
> >From: "INBOX ASTRONOMY: NEWS ALERT" <hst-news at stsci.edu>
> >Reply-To: owner-public at stsci.edu
> >To: public at stsci.edu
> >Subject: HUBBLE PROVIDES SPECTACULAR DETAIL OF  A COMET'S BREAKUP
> >(STScI-PRC06-18)
> >Date: Thu, 27 Apr 2006 13:10:19 -0400
> >
> >FOR RELEASE: 1:00 pm (EDT) April 27, 2006
> >
> >PHOTO NO.: STScI-PRC06-18
> >
> >HUBBLE PROVIDES SPECTACULAR DETAIL OF A COMET'S BREAKUP
> >
> >NASA's Hubble Space Telescope is providing astronomers with
> >extraordinary views of Comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3. The fragile
> >comet is rapidly disintegrating as it approaches the Sun. Hubble images
> >have uncovered many more fragments than have been reported by
> >ground-based observers. These observations provide an unprecedented
> >opportunity to study the demise of a comet nucleus. The comet is
> >currently a chain of over three dozen separate fragments, named
> >alphabetically, stretching across the sky by several times the angular
> >diameter of the Moon. Hubble caught two of the fragments, B and G (top
> >frames) shortly after large outbursts in activity on April 18, 19, and
> >20, 2006. Hubble shows several dozen "mini-comets" trailing behind each
> >main fragment, probably associated with the ejection of house-sized
> >chunks of surface material. Deep-freeze relics of the early solar
> >system, cometary nuclei are porous and fragile mixes of dust and ices
> >that can break apart due to the thermal, gravitational, and dynamical
> >stresses of approaching the Sun. Whether any of the many fragments
> >survive the trip around the Sun remains to be seen in the weeks ahead.
> >
> >Credit for Hubble images: NASA, ESA, H. Weaver (JHU/APL), M. Mutchler
> >and Z. Levay (STScI)
> >
> >Credit for ground-based image: G. Rhemann and M. Jager
> >
> >To see and read more about the comet on the Web, visit:
> >http://hubblesite.org/news/2006/18
> >http://www.jhuapl.edu/newscenter/pressreleases/2006/060427.asp
> >http://www.spacetelescope.org
> >