Encounter Observations from Earth
08.11.05
While most of the major observatories around the world observed the encounter with Tempel 1, two networks of amateur astronomers had their telescopes aimed at the comet. In fact, the 141 advanced observing teams participating in the mission's Small Telescope Science Program (STSP) have been imaging the comet since October 2004. As of the end of July 2005, about half the STSP teams have submitted over 360 sets of broadband red or unfiltered images of Tempel 1 to help us fill gaps in the dust production light curve as well as to monitor for other activity such as outbursts and jets.
The science team was not sure if Tempel 1 had outbursts because the comet was never heavily studied in the months before perihelion. However, several STSP observers recorded outbursts from Tempel 1 on June 22 and 29, 2005. While Deep Impact instruments also recorded the outbursts (and the navigation team reported the events first), it was good to confirm the outbursts with ground-based observations.
Our other network, the Amateur Observers' Program (AOP) encouraged amateurs to observe whether it was to collect "data" or for fun. While the majority of observations were from digital cameras, several observers also made sketches and some reported their observations in text. About 65 observers (of 365 registered) have submitted over 355 observations. Observations were sent in from all over the world -- Australia, Malaysia, Iran, Zimbabwe, Romania, Poland, Hungary, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, UK, Puerto Rico, as well as from all over the USA. While the first half of the year favored observers in the northern hemisphere, the comet is now primarily visible to observers in the southern hemisphere.
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The Small Telescope Science Program (STSP) Gallery is at
stsp.astro.umd.edu/images/2005.shtml
and the Amateur Observers' Program (AOP) Gallery is at
aop.astro.umd.edu/gallery/.
