What will the Medium Resolution Instrument see?
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The flyby spacecraft carries two instruments for observing the impact and its effects within visible light wavelengths. There is a Medium Resolution Instrument (MRI), which produces "the big picture" of the comet and has a field of view of 0.587 degrees or about the diameter of the moon as seen from Earth. It will have a maximum predicted resolution of about 10 meters/pixel. In addition, there is a High Resolution Instrument (HRI). Both instruments will be pointed at the impact site on the comet nucleus, recording the expansion of the impact ejecta curtain and peering inside of the freshly formed crater.
CREDIT: Jim Richardson, University of Arizona, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
