1 00:00:07,590 --> 00:00:05,190 good afternoon and welcome to nasa's jet 2 00:00:09,430 --> 00:00:07,600 propulsion laboratory uh we're having a 3 00:00:12,549 --> 00:00:09,440 fabulous day here we've had a very 4 00:00:14,470 --> 00:00:12,559 successful flyby of comet hartley 2 by 5 00:00:16,710 --> 00:00:14,480 the recycled deep impact spacecraft 6 00:00:18,150 --> 00:00:16,720 which is part of the epoxy mission and 7 00:00:19,910 --> 00:00:18,160 we have a panel here that's going to 8 00:00:21,349 --> 00:00:19,920 tell you about some of those early 9 00:00:23,189 --> 00:00:21,359 images and what they've been able to 10 00:00:25,670 --> 00:00:23,199 discern from them so far 11 00:00:27,830 --> 00:00:25,680 i'll introduce our panelists to you 12 00:00:29,750 --> 00:00:27,840 first we have dr charles alachi he is 13 00:00:32,709 --> 00:00:29,760 the director of the jet propulsion 14 00:00:37,750 --> 00:00:35,590 next will be dr ed weiler he is the 15 00:00:42,950 --> 00:00:37,760 nasa's associate administrator for the 16 00:00:47,510 --> 00:00:45,910 tim larson he is the project manager for 17 00:00:52,150 --> 00:00:47,520 the epoxy mission from the jet 18 00:00:56,229 --> 00:00:54,549 dr mike ahern he is the principal 19 00:01:00,069 --> 00:00:56,239 investigator of the mission and he is 20 00:01:04,549 --> 00:01:02,150 and finally we'll hear from dr jessica 21 00:01:06,469 --> 00:01:04,559 sunshine she is the deputy principal 22 00:01:08,789 --> 00:01:06,479 investigator and she is also from the 23 00:01:10,950 --> 00:01:08,799 university of maryland and we're going 24 00:01:12,469 --> 00:01:10,960 to begin with dr alachi 25 00:01:14,310 --> 00:01:12,479 well good afternoon 26 00:01:16,710 --> 00:01:14,320 as you could imagine this has been a 27 00:01:18,390 --> 00:01:16,720 great day for nasa 28 00:01:20,469 --> 00:01:18,400 for jpl 29 00:01:23,190 --> 00:01:20,479 for university of maryland for bola 30 00:01:25,190 --> 00:01:23,200 aerospace and for our nation quest in 31 00:01:27,190 --> 00:01:25,200 exploration and discovery 32 00:01:29,030 --> 00:01:27,200 and i'm particularly proud of the epoxy 33 00:01:31,350 --> 00:01:29,040 team which really made this look like 34 00:01:33,030 --> 00:01:31,360 it's an easy thing you know to do well 35 00:01:34,230 --> 00:01:33,040 in reality these are always very 36 00:01:36,230 --> 00:01:34,240 challenging 37 00:01:38,789 --> 00:01:36,240 activity i thought just in case you 38 00:01:40,870 --> 00:01:38,799 forgot how it was exciting this morning 39 00:01:43,350 --> 00:01:40,880 uh during the encounter where i have 40 00:01:45,590 --> 00:01:43,360 about a 30 minute video sorry 30 second 41 00:01:47,830 --> 00:01:45,600 video 42 00:01:50,310 --> 00:01:47,840 it seemed like it had been a long day 43 00:01:54,789 --> 00:01:50,320 a 30 second video to show you how it was 44 00:01:58,149 --> 00:01:56,389 all right our first image from closest 45 00:01:59,270 --> 00:01:58,159 approach has been saved to our file 46 00:02:00,469 --> 00:01:59,280 system 47 00:02:02,310 --> 00:02:00,479 you can see we're all staring at the 48 00:02:14,470 --> 00:02:02,320 screen waiting for our software to pick 49 00:02:24,470 --> 00:02:16,949 congratulations on a fantastic flyby 50 00:02:28,630 --> 00:02:26,790 you see how easy they make it look like 51 00:02:31,430 --> 00:02:28,640 uh now before i introduce the next 52 00:02:33,589 --> 00:02:31,440 speaker we are very very honored uh 53 00:02:35,670 --> 00:02:33,599 today to have also with us as you saw in 54 00:02:37,830 --> 00:02:35,680 the picture here mr and mrs malcolm 55 00:02:39,670 --> 00:02:37,840 hartley after whom the comment is named 56 00:02:49,270 --> 00:02:39,680 malcolm and mrs hartley do you mind 57 00:02:53,270 --> 00:02:51,110 okay now i would like uh to introduce 58 00:02:57,270 --> 00:02:53,280 the next picture dr edweiler 59 00:03:02,070 --> 00:02:59,750 and oh 60 00:03:04,470 --> 00:03:02,080 i was reacting to that comment 61 00:03:05,670 --> 00:03:04,480 it takes a village charles 62 00:03:09,589 --> 00:03:05,680 uh 63 00:03:11,750 --> 00:03:09,599 i was in that room and i'm gonna say a 64 00:03:13,509 --> 00:03:11,760 few things about the human experience 65 00:03:16,070 --> 00:03:13,519 that uh was for me 66 00:03:19,350 --> 00:03:16,080 but i just wanted to point out that uh 67 00:03:21,830 --> 00:03:19,360 we uh so i selected uh deep impact 68 00:03:23,589 --> 00:03:21,840 uh must have been about 10 years ago now 69 00:03:25,990 --> 00:03:23,599 to go to uh 70 00:03:27,830 --> 00:03:26,000 uh it had a rather interesting idea it 71 00:03:30,869 --> 00:03:27,840 was going to carry a copper bullet about 72 00:03:32,470 --> 00:03:30,879 200 pounds and blasted into a comet and 73 00:03:34,070 --> 00:03:32,480 to understand what's what the comment 74 00:03:36,309 --> 00:03:34,080 was made out of 75 00:03:37,270 --> 00:03:36,319 somehow this survived peer review 76 00:03:39,750 --> 00:03:37,280 luckily 77 00:03:42,550 --> 00:03:39,760 and uh we selected it little did i know 78 00:03:43,350 --> 00:03:42,560 back in 2000 or 1999 i forget the exact 79 00:03:45,350 --> 00:03:43,360 year 80 00:03:47,270 --> 00:03:45,360 that i'd be sitting here today 81 00:03:49,750 --> 00:03:47,280 talking about a second use of that 82 00:03:50,710 --> 00:03:49,760 spacecraft and a really darn good 83 00:03:52,869 --> 00:03:50,720 bargain 84 00:03:55,830 --> 00:03:52,879 the original deep impact mission was 85 00:03:57,670 --> 00:03:55,840 about 260 million and then mikey hearn 86 00:03:59,750 --> 00:03:57,680 and his other people at maryland and 87 00:04:01,670 --> 00:03:59,760 other uh universities came up with the 88 00:04:03,350 --> 00:04:01,680 idea of you know we've had a successful 89 00:04:04,309 --> 00:04:03,360 deep impact mission 90 00:04:05,589 --> 00:04:04,319 um 91 00:04:08,229 --> 00:04:05,599 you know there's enough fuel on this 92 00:04:10,710 --> 00:04:08,239 satellite to go to other places in fact 93 00:04:12,470 --> 00:04:10,720 a specific comet namely hartley two 94 00:04:15,670 --> 00:04:12,480 and they made a proposal 95 00:04:18,390 --> 00:04:15,680 and uh for reusing this used a satellite 96 00:04:20,789 --> 00:04:18,400 and we accepted it and uh 97 00:04:23,430 --> 00:04:20,799 today is the culmination of that uh for 98 00:04:25,430 --> 00:04:23,440 about 45 million dollars we got a full 99 00:04:28,390 --> 00:04:25,440 up discovery mission which is in today's 100 00:04:29,990 --> 00:04:28,400 dollars is probably worth 300 or 350. so 101 00:04:31,510 --> 00:04:30,000 for about 10 percent of the cost of a 102 00:04:33,590 --> 00:04:31,520 discovery mission we got a second 103 00:04:35,830 --> 00:04:33,600 discovery mission from the same uh 104 00:04:37,189 --> 00:04:35,840 spacecraft 105 00:04:38,629 --> 00:04:37,199 i like to do that again we're going to 106 00:04:39,990 --> 00:04:38,639 be looking at other satellites how we 107 00:04:41,990 --> 00:04:40,000 can do this again 108 00:04:44,230 --> 00:04:42,000 in these days of hard economic times 109 00:04:47,110 --> 00:04:44,240 this is a really good deal 110 00:04:48,950 --> 00:04:47,120 uh terms of the human experience uh i 111 00:04:50,870 --> 00:04:48,960 remember the seconds before the image 112 00:04:53,430 --> 00:04:50,880 came down and i thought to myself you 113 00:04:55,189 --> 00:04:53,440 know this is an exploration moment 114 00:04:56,550 --> 00:04:55,199 in the following sense here we are 115 00:04:58,629 --> 00:04:56,560 sitting in this little 116 00:05:00,310 --> 00:04:58,639 building in jpl and we're going to see 117 00:05:01,909 --> 00:05:00,320 something no other humans in the history 118 00:05:04,790 --> 00:05:01,919 of humankind have seen 119 00:05:07,430 --> 00:05:04,800 you know the nucleus of hartley ii 120 00:05:10,950 --> 00:05:07,440 and then it came up and 121 00:05:12,710 --> 00:05:10,960 it was incredible it was cigar shaped 122 00:05:14,070 --> 00:05:12,720 when i was growing up in astronomy we 123 00:05:15,350 --> 00:05:14,080 thought comets should be more or less 124 00:05:16,790 --> 00:05:15,360 uniform and 125 00:05:19,029 --> 00:05:16,800 every time we look at something we find 126 00:05:20,469 --> 00:05:19,039 out our textbooks were wrong 127 00:05:22,150 --> 00:05:20,479 this is what science is all about and 128 00:05:24,150 --> 00:05:22,160 i'd like to use the remaining minute i 129 00:05:25,350 --> 00:05:24,160 have here to talk about what what this 130 00:05:27,189 --> 00:05:25,360 should mean 131 00:05:29,029 --> 00:05:27,199 uh i have kids many people in this room 132 00:05:31,430 --> 00:05:29,039 have kids we have a generation of kids 133 00:05:33,430 --> 00:05:31,440 growing up playing with computers and 134 00:05:35,830 --> 00:05:33,440 video games and living in virtual 135 00:05:37,350 --> 00:05:35,840 reality they blow up comets they blow up 136 00:05:38,710 --> 00:05:37,360 planets they do all these great things 137 00:05:40,469 --> 00:05:38,720 on the computer 138 00:05:42,230 --> 00:05:40,479 but it's all virtual 139 00:05:44,550 --> 00:05:42,240 i'm hoping a few kids were watching 140 00:05:46,790 --> 00:05:44,560 today and if you were please understand 141 00:05:49,350 --> 00:05:46,800 this message what you saw today wasn't 142 00:05:50,870 --> 00:05:49,360 virtual it wasn't a computer simulation 143 00:05:53,350 --> 00:05:50,880 it was real 144 00:05:55,749 --> 00:05:53,360 it was the earth seeing this comet close 145 00:05:58,629 --> 00:05:55,759 up for the first time in history 146 00:06:01,029 --> 00:05:58,639 uh that's fun science can be fun just as 147 00:06:03,430 --> 00:06:01,039 much fun as a computer game but probably 148 00:06:05,430 --> 00:06:03,440 a lot more important to our society 149 00:06:08,469 --> 00:06:05,440 thank you 150 00:06:13,270 --> 00:06:11,189 as has been mentioned the um 151 00:06:15,430 --> 00:06:13,280 this epoxy mission is a bonus mission 152 00:06:16,870 --> 00:06:15,440 using the deep impact spacecraft 153 00:06:19,830 --> 00:06:16,880 if you count the temple one encounter 154 00:06:21,350 --> 00:06:19,840 five years ago and the solar planet 155 00:06:22,870 --> 00:06:21,360 observations that we did on the way to 156 00:06:24,309 --> 00:06:22,880 hartley 2 and now this encounter it's 157 00:06:26,230 --> 00:06:24,319 really been three missions that the 158 00:06:28,710 --> 00:06:26,240 spacecraft has accomplished 159 00:06:31,749 --> 00:06:28,720 and uh this morning i think everybody on 160 00:06:33,830 --> 00:06:31,759 the team uh uh felt really absolutely 161 00:06:35,590 --> 00:06:33,840 privileged to be a part of 162 00:06:37,350 --> 00:06:35,600 an event like this 163 00:06:39,749 --> 00:06:37,360 on the way here we traveled about 2.9 164 00:06:41,909 --> 00:06:39,759 billion miles so that was quite a road 165 00:06:43,430 --> 00:06:41,919 trip we had three earth flybys we took 166 00:06:46,230 --> 00:06:43,440 care of we took advantage of the gravity 167 00:06:47,670 --> 00:06:46,240 assist on these flybys to adjust our our 168 00:06:49,350 --> 00:06:47,680 trajectory just enough so that we could 169 00:06:51,670 --> 00:06:49,360 get out to the comet 170 00:06:52,950 --> 00:06:51,680 and uh starting with temple one and then 171 00:06:55,270 --> 00:06:52,960 now finishing with hartley two two 172 00:06:56,469 --> 00:06:55,280 common encounters for the spacecraft 173 00:06:58,710 --> 00:06:56,479 i'd like to 174 00:07:01,110 --> 00:06:58,720 point out the contributions of some 175 00:07:02,870 --> 00:07:01,120 really fantastic people because uh you 176 00:07:04,070 --> 00:07:02,880 can't get this done without an excellent 177 00:07:06,230 --> 00:07:04,080 team in place 178 00:07:08,629 --> 00:07:06,240 and we had a team a spacecraft team that 179 00:07:10,790 --> 00:07:08,639 was comprised of jpl engineers 180 00:07:13,110 --> 00:07:10,800 operating the spacecraft and engineers 181 00:07:15,670 --> 00:07:13,120 from ball aerospace operating as well 182 00:07:17,270 --> 00:07:15,680 and i do want to i do want to thank 183 00:07:18,870 --> 00:07:17,280 several of you are in the audience today 184 00:07:20,390 --> 00:07:18,880 and i want to thank all of you for for 185 00:07:22,070 --> 00:07:20,400 your participation in the hard work that 186 00:07:24,469 --> 00:07:22,080 you did it it looks easy when it comes 187 00:07:26,469 --> 00:07:24,479 to this point but it's it's the end 188 00:07:28,629 --> 00:07:26,479 result of a tremendous amount of work 189 00:07:31,749 --> 00:07:28,639 and all the testing all the sequence 190 00:07:33,430 --> 00:07:31,759 design all the reviews and risk analysis 191 00:07:35,189 --> 00:07:33,440 everything that we've done along the way 192 00:07:37,350 --> 00:07:35,199 uh pays off at moments like this so 193 00:07:39,589 --> 00:07:37,360 thank all of you and then of course 194 00:07:41,510 --> 00:07:39,599 supporting a an international science 195 00:07:43,270 --> 00:07:41,520 team uh with folks from all around the 196 00:07:44,469 --> 00:07:43,280 world who are involved in interpreting 197 00:07:46,629 --> 00:07:44,479 these results and putting all these 198 00:07:49,430 --> 00:07:46,639 puzzles together so this has just been 199 00:07:51,510 --> 00:07:49,440 an absolute blast getting here 200 00:07:52,950 --> 00:07:51,520 in terms of mission events we started 201 00:07:54,550 --> 00:07:52,960 observing the comment back on september 202 00:07:55,749 --> 00:07:54,560 5th the very first day that we pointed 203 00:07:56,950 --> 00:07:55,759 our cameras at the comment and took 204 00:07:58,629 --> 00:07:56,960 images the comment was right there in 205 00:07:59,830 --> 00:07:58,639 the middle so it was great to see that 206 00:08:02,550 --> 00:07:59,840 from the very beginning we've been 207 00:08:04,230 --> 00:08:02,560 imaging almost continually since then we 208 00:08:06,790 --> 00:08:04,240 took a break of about four days to cool 209 00:08:08,150 --> 00:08:06,800 down the ir instrument and to perform a 210 00:08:10,390 --> 00:08:08,160 calibration of the instruments and a 211 00:08:12,550 --> 00:08:10,400 trajectory correction maneuver and then 212 00:08:15,670 --> 00:08:12,560 we started imaging again since october 213 00:08:17,029 --> 00:08:15,680 1st uh it's been non-stop imaging of 214 00:08:18,150 --> 00:08:17,039 this comet 215 00:08:20,070 --> 00:08:18,160 and that has generated a lot of 216 00:08:23,189 --> 00:08:20,080 interesting data along the way for the 217 00:08:24,950 --> 00:08:23,199 science team to to start chewing on and 218 00:08:26,469 --> 00:08:24,960 very early on we discovered some very 219 00:08:30,150 --> 00:08:26,479 very interesting behavior and unusual 220 00:08:33,190 --> 00:08:31,749 until a few days ago we didn't really 221 00:08:34,389 --> 00:08:33,200 know what this comet nucleus was going 222 00:08:35,909 --> 00:08:34,399 to look like it didn't have any idea 223 00:08:39,029 --> 00:08:35,919 what kind of shape it would be 224 00:08:41,509 --> 00:08:39,039 and uh thanks to thanks to the work from 225 00:08:42,870 --> 00:08:41,519 the arecibo radar observatory 226 00:08:44,230 --> 00:08:42,880 that gave us some of the first clues of 227 00:08:46,790 --> 00:08:44,240 what we might be looking at if you roll 228 00:08:47,829 --> 00:08:46,800 that video you'll see a compilation of 229 00:08:50,949 --> 00:08:47,839 images that have been turned into a 230 00:08:53,430 --> 00:08:50,959 movie of of this comet as seen by the 231 00:08:56,070 --> 00:08:53,440 arecibo radar observatory and that that 232 00:08:58,070 --> 00:08:56,080 gave us a very first glimp last week 233 00:08:59,829 --> 00:08:58,080 into uh into what we might be 234 00:09:02,790 --> 00:08:59,839 approaching as we got these images 235 00:09:04,550 --> 00:09:02,800 seeing this very elongated body um we 236 00:09:06,870 --> 00:09:04,560 started scratching our heads again and 237 00:09:09,430 --> 00:09:06,880 looking at our autonav software all over 238 00:09:11,350 --> 00:09:09,440 again uh to make sure that we didn't 239 00:09:13,269 --> 00:09:11,360 have any problems opposed to the 240 00:09:14,949 --> 00:09:13,279 performance of the autonav software this 241 00:09:17,269 --> 00:09:14,959 is the software that keeps us pointed at 242 00:09:19,030 --> 00:09:17,279 the comet all the way through the flyby 243 00:09:21,829 --> 00:09:19,040 and it was a little different use this 244 00:09:23,190 --> 00:09:21,839 time on on tempo one we stopped at a 245 00:09:24,630 --> 00:09:23,200 certain point and stayed in the shield 246 00:09:26,470 --> 00:09:24,640 mode this time we tracked the comet all 247 00:09:27,750 --> 00:09:26,480 the way across so we knew that it would 248 00:09:29,350 --> 00:09:27,760 be a little bit more of a challenge than 249 00:09:30,710 --> 00:09:29,360 the last time we used it 250 00:09:32,389 --> 00:09:30,720 but there'd been a lot of testing a lot 251 00:09:33,670 --> 00:09:32,399 of simulation done along the way to be 252 00:09:34,949 --> 00:09:33,680 sure that it could handle all kinds of 253 00:09:37,910 --> 00:09:34,959 different 254 00:09:39,110 --> 00:09:37,920 comet situations and comet shapes and 255 00:09:40,870 --> 00:09:39,120 so it was gratifying to see that it 256 00:09:44,230 --> 00:09:40,880 worked really well 257 00:09:45,269 --> 00:09:44,240 in terms of today's flyby um 258 00:09:46,710 --> 00:09:45,279 we couldn't have asked for a better 259 00:09:48,630 --> 00:09:46,720 performance from the spacecraft and from 260 00:09:50,389 --> 00:09:48,640 our navigation team 261 00:09:52,630 --> 00:09:50,399 we we were exactly where we wanted to be 262 00:09:56,310 --> 00:09:52,640 we were within two seconds of our flyby 263 00:09:58,790 --> 00:09:56,320 time uh which was uh 264 00:10:00,710 --> 00:09:58,800 exactly within the capabilities of our 265 00:10:03,430 --> 00:10:00,720 imaging sequences and keeping up with 266 00:10:05,430 --> 00:10:03,440 everything uh we were at uh 700 267 00:10:07,269 --> 00:10:05,440 kilometers that's what we aim for and we 268 00:10:08,790 --> 00:10:07,279 were just about we're our miss distance 269 00:10:10,870 --> 00:10:08,800 was still about 700 kilometers just 270 00:10:12,790 --> 00:10:10,880 about three kilometers over to the side 271 00:10:15,030 --> 00:10:12,800 and so that was absolutely fantastic 272 00:10:16,550 --> 00:10:15,040 performance uh in terms of navigating 273 00:10:19,190 --> 00:10:16,560 and getting there 274 00:10:21,110 --> 00:10:19,200 and uh our flyby velocity 275 00:10:23,430 --> 00:10:21,120 ended up being in the vicinity of 27 000 276 00:10:25,350 --> 00:10:23,440 miles per hour so this thing came by 277 00:10:26,949 --> 00:10:25,360 very very fast 278 00:10:28,310 --> 00:10:26,959 um it was a huge moment for our team we 279 00:10:29,750 --> 00:10:28,320 were trying to think what are going to 280 00:10:31,350 --> 00:10:29,760 what are the key transitions the key 281 00:10:32,790 --> 00:10:31,360 moments going to be for the team that 282 00:10:33,990 --> 00:10:32,800 tell us that this was successful and one 283 00:10:35,910 --> 00:10:34,000 of the first ones 284 00:10:37,829 --> 00:10:35,920 we knew we knew that that at the 285 00:10:40,389 --> 00:10:37,839 approximate time that that flyby would 286 00:10:42,389 --> 00:10:40,399 occur because we we that was in the plan 287 00:10:43,509 --> 00:10:42,399 and it's all set by by the trajectory as 288 00:10:44,870 --> 00:10:43,519 we approach 289 00:10:46,630 --> 00:10:44,880 but one of our key things that we're 290 00:10:47,829 --> 00:10:46,640 looking for is getting the signal back 291 00:10:48,790 --> 00:10:47,839 from the high gain antenna when we 292 00:10:50,470 --> 00:10:48,800 switch from the low gain to the high 293 00:10:51,990 --> 00:10:50,480 gain and seeing that signal come back 294 00:10:54,150 --> 00:10:52,000 that was uh that was a big sigh of 295 00:10:56,949 --> 00:10:54,160 relief for us we knew that we had 296 00:10:58,389 --> 00:10:56,959 survived the trip and we're ready to 297 00:11:00,870 --> 00:10:58,399 finish everything off 298 00:11:02,949 --> 00:11:00,880 and if you show uh this image 299 00:11:05,190 --> 00:11:02,959 on the screen here you'll see that uh 300 00:11:06,710 --> 00:11:05,200 when that first image came down showing 301 00:11:08,069 --> 00:11:06,720 the comet in the field of view as we 302 00:11:09,910 --> 00:11:08,079 were approaching it even though it was a 303 00:11:11,990 --> 00:11:09,920 distant image of the comet very small 304 00:11:13,269 --> 00:11:12,000 and we knew that we were there 305 00:11:15,269 --> 00:11:13,279 we knew that we pointed in the right 306 00:11:16,949 --> 00:11:15,279 places we knew that we'd uh got what we 307 00:11:18,870 --> 00:11:16,959 wanted and that everything else that 308 00:11:20,550 --> 00:11:18,880 would be coming down would would be 309 00:11:22,630 --> 00:11:20,560 exactly what we'd been looking for and 310 00:11:23,750 --> 00:11:22,640 and it was hugely gratifying to see this 311 00:11:25,670 --> 00:11:23,760 happen 312 00:11:28,389 --> 00:11:25,680 um so uh 313 00:11:30,069 --> 00:11:28,399 in terms of uh where we go from here 314 00:11:32,150 --> 00:11:30,079 we're gonna spend about three weeks 315 00:11:33,990 --> 00:11:32,160 imaging the comet as we go away from it 316 00:11:36,150 --> 00:11:34,000 so we'll get uh a lot of departure 317 00:11:37,829 --> 00:11:36,160 sampling of the comet to add to the the 318 00:11:38,949 --> 00:11:37,839 data we've already 319 00:11:40,790 --> 00:11:38,959 collected 320 00:11:43,190 --> 00:11:40,800 and then we'll perform one final 321 00:11:44,949 --> 00:11:43,200 calibration of the instruments to 322 00:11:46,069 --> 00:11:44,959 to help with the science data 323 00:11:47,269 --> 00:11:46,079 analysis 324 00:11:48,949 --> 00:11:47,279 and then after that we'll await further 325 00:11:51,030 --> 00:11:48,959 instructions from nasa 326 00:11:54,389 --> 00:11:51,040 so with that i'll pass it on to mike 327 00:11:57,269 --> 00:11:56,230 the first thing everyone wants to know 328 00:11:59,269 --> 00:11:57,279 about 329 00:12:02,389 --> 00:11:59,279 the scientific return from a mission is 330 00:12:04,550 --> 00:12:02,399 how much it's increased our knowledge 331 00:12:07,110 --> 00:12:04,560 but of course the scientific work is 332 00:12:10,150 --> 00:12:07,120 just beginning now uh the engineers did 333 00:12:12,150 --> 00:12:10,160 a fantastic job of getting us data now 334 00:12:13,990 --> 00:12:12,160 we have to make sense of it to advance 335 00:12:16,230 --> 00:12:14,000 the science but i'm 336 00:12:18,790 --> 00:12:16,240 from looking at the data we have i am 337 00:12:21,269 --> 00:12:18,800 convinced that comet hartley will have 338 00:12:24,470 --> 00:12:21,279 increased our knowledge of how comets 339 00:12:27,190 --> 00:12:24,480 work by at least three hartleys 340 00:12:30,230 --> 00:12:29,030 the hartley is a real unit of 341 00:12:32,389 --> 00:12:30,240 information 342 00:12:36,710 --> 00:12:32,399 and three hartley's is about a factor of 343 00:12:40,470 --> 00:12:38,949 so the first slide for first movie 344 00:12:42,550 --> 00:12:40,480 rather the video 345 00:12:44,230 --> 00:12:42,560 that should come up 346 00:12:47,829 --> 00:12:44,240 shows you 347 00:12:48,949 --> 00:12:47,839 observations we took on approach to the 348 00:12:51,269 --> 00:12:48,959 comet 349 00:12:55,750 --> 00:12:51,279 so we had results even before we got 350 00:12:56,629 --> 00:12:55,760 there and you see a movie in which 351 00:12:59,590 --> 00:12:56,639 the 352 00:13:01,269 --> 00:12:59,600 comet is brightening and getting fainter 353 00:13:04,069 --> 00:13:01,279 and you see what looks like jets 354 00:13:05,910 --> 00:13:04,079 sweeping around so we think even then we 355 00:13:10,470 --> 00:13:05,920 thought we probably had an elongated 356 00:13:15,030 --> 00:13:12,389 and every time 357 00:13:20,470 --> 00:13:15,040 the active area gets into sunlight which 358 00:13:24,949 --> 00:13:23,190 the uh jet gets active and spews out 359 00:13:27,030 --> 00:13:24,959 material and you're seeing it sweeping 360 00:13:29,509 --> 00:13:27,040 out and we already knew from looking at 361 00:13:31,829 --> 00:13:29,519 that that it's not just simple rotation 362 00:13:34,150 --> 00:13:31,839 it's probably doing this as well or 363 00:13:36,230 --> 00:13:34,160 maybe doing this and maybe doing this 364 00:13:38,150 --> 00:13:36,240 all on top of that it's very complex 365 00:13:40,069 --> 00:13:38,160 motion and that's why the jets don't 366 00:13:41,189 --> 00:13:40,079 repeat every time you see them each time 367 00:13:43,110 --> 00:13:41,199 you go through they're a little bit 368 00:13:45,590 --> 00:13:43,120 different 369 00:13:46,710 --> 00:13:45,600 so finding those jets on the way in was 370 00:13:48,389 --> 00:13:46,720 great 371 00:13:49,750 --> 00:13:48,399 but the next thing we found on the way 372 00:13:53,110 --> 00:13:49,760 in 373 00:13:56,710 --> 00:13:53,120 jets 374 00:13:58,310 --> 00:13:56,720 and the next still picture 375 00:14:01,750 --> 00:13:58,320 shows 376 00:14:03,990 --> 00:14:01,760 a whole series of pictures over two days 377 00:14:06,949 --> 00:14:04,000 in light that's been specially filtered 378 00:14:08,949 --> 00:14:06,959 just to show carbon dioxide 379 00:14:11,269 --> 00:14:08,959 dry ice from in the nucleus that's 380 00:14:13,269 --> 00:14:11,279 evaporated and come out 381 00:14:15,189 --> 00:14:13,279 mostly what we think of as coming out of 382 00:14:18,389 --> 00:14:15,199 comets is water 383 00:14:20,389 --> 00:14:18,399 from ordinary water ice the dry ice goes 384 00:14:22,069 --> 00:14:20,399 up and down in brightness dramatically 385 00:14:23,990 --> 00:14:22,079 you can see in that picture how it goes 386 00:14:25,430 --> 00:14:24,000 up and down from october 31st to 387 00:14:26,790 --> 00:14:25,440 november 2nd 388 00:14:28,710 --> 00:14:26,800 you can even see 389 00:14:30,230 --> 00:14:28,720 that it moves a little bit 390 00:14:32,949 --> 00:14:30,240 when it's really bright it's a little 391 00:14:35,110 --> 00:14:32,959 closer to the sun than when it's faint 392 00:14:37,030 --> 00:14:35,120 the sun in this picture is up 393 00:14:40,150 --> 00:14:37,040 so 394 00:14:42,389 --> 00:14:40,160 that was a great clue that uh we had a 395 00:14:43,269 --> 00:14:42,399 really interesting discovery 396 00:14:47,110 --> 00:14:43,279 and 397 00:14:48,790 --> 00:14:47,120 the next slide shows that the 398 00:14:50,629 --> 00:14:48,800 just three pictures when the comet is 399 00:14:52,710 --> 00:14:50,639 faint on the left 400 00:14:55,590 --> 00:14:52,720 when it's medium brightness on the right 401 00:14:57,350 --> 00:14:55,600 and when it's really bright on the right 402 00:14:59,590 --> 00:14:57,360 i'm sorry medium brightness in the 403 00:15:01,829 --> 00:14:59,600 middle and really bright on the right 404 00:15:04,310 --> 00:15:01,839 the top row is just the light of the 405 00:15:06,389 --> 00:15:04,320 carbon dioxide so that's where the dry 406 00:15:08,790 --> 00:15:06,399 ice is evaporating 407 00:15:11,509 --> 00:15:08,800 and the bottom picture is visible light 408 00:15:13,750 --> 00:15:11,519 that's mostly the solid grains 409 00:15:15,990 --> 00:15:13,760 so this says that there is one area in 410 00:15:17,110 --> 00:15:16,000 the comet that is incredibly rich in dry 411 00:15:20,069 --> 00:15:17,120 ice 412 00:15:22,629 --> 00:15:20,079 and that's what drags out the grains 413 00:15:24,389 --> 00:15:22,639 and produces all of the phenomena that 414 00:15:25,350 --> 00:15:24,399 we see traditionally we've thought that 415 00:15:27,990 --> 00:15:25,360 it was 416 00:15:29,749 --> 00:15:28,000 excess water driving these jets this is 417 00:15:32,470 --> 00:15:29,759 a pretty clear demonstration that it's 418 00:15:34,310 --> 00:15:32,480 really extra dry ice somewhere close 419 00:15:35,430 --> 00:15:34,320 below the surface that's driving these 420 00:15:37,269 --> 00:15:35,440 jets 421 00:15:39,350 --> 00:15:37,279 so that was our first one of our great 422 00:15:40,949 --> 00:15:39,360 discoveries on the way in 423 00:15:42,710 --> 00:15:40,959 but that was before we had a picture of 424 00:15:45,430 --> 00:15:42,720 the comet so now i'm going to hand it 425 00:15:47,350 --> 00:15:45,440 over to jessica who will tell you 426 00:15:48,710 --> 00:15:47,360 about the pictures of the nucleus and 427 00:15:51,030 --> 00:15:48,720 actually show you where we think that 428 00:15:52,710 --> 00:15:51,040 dry ice came from 429 00:15:54,150 --> 00:15:52,720 thanks mike um 430 00:15:56,389 --> 00:15:54,160 well i know we all had a great treat 431 00:15:58,790 --> 00:15:56,399 this morning uh we got to see a wonder 432 00:15:59,990 --> 00:15:58,800 spectacular set of images and i first 433 00:16:02,069 --> 00:16:00,000 wanted to start with showing you the 434 00:16:03,430 --> 00:16:02,079 five images we took nearest closest 435 00:16:04,389 --> 00:16:03,440 approach 436 00:16:07,030 --> 00:16:04,399 thank you 437 00:16:09,509 --> 00:16:07,040 and they progress in this montage from 438 00:16:11,990 --> 00:16:09,519 the upper left clockwise 439 00:16:13,829 --> 00:16:12,000 down to the lower left and what you're 440 00:16:17,189 --> 00:16:13,839 seeing is the images as the spacecraft 441 00:16:19,269 --> 00:16:17,199 took as it approached hartley 2 442 00:16:21,030 --> 00:16:19,279 went underneath and continued to take 443 00:16:23,110 --> 00:16:21,040 images looking back 444 00:16:24,389 --> 00:16:23,120 so we had quite a range of perspectives 445 00:16:25,670 --> 00:16:24,399 across this 446 00:16:27,670 --> 00:16:25,680 uh and 447 00:16:29,269 --> 00:16:27,680 at this point i always maybe it's the 448 00:16:32,150 --> 00:16:29,279 right thing to do is just stop and look 449 00:16:33,910 --> 00:16:32,160 at this spectacular comment uh mr 450 00:16:35,749 --> 00:16:33,920 hartley's comment over here there's not 451 00:16:37,749 --> 00:16:35,759 much to say that you can say besides 452 00:16:38,790 --> 00:16:37,759 this just amazing 453 00:16:40,230 --> 00:16:38,800 however 454 00:16:42,949 --> 00:16:40,240 they wanted me to say something so we 455 00:16:45,430 --> 00:16:42,959 spent the last 456 00:16:46,790 --> 00:16:45,440 few hours trying to get some preliminary 457 00:16:47,910 --> 00:16:46,800 sense of what we think is going on on 458 00:16:49,910 --> 00:16:47,920 the comet which i'm going to share with 459 00:16:51,749 --> 00:16:49,920 you in a minute and try to see how it 460 00:16:54,150 --> 00:16:51,759 relates to what we've been studying as 461 00:16:56,470 --> 00:16:54,160 mike talked about uh in the coma 462 00:16:59,430 --> 00:16:56,480 uh the comet's atmosphere 463 00:17:01,990 --> 00:16:59,440 so uh if i could have the next image uh 464 00:17:03,670 --> 00:17:02,000 let's see where uh hartley 2 uh fits in 465 00:17:06,710 --> 00:17:03,680 our family portrait of comets we've seen 466 00:17:07,909 --> 00:17:06,720 five others before with spacecraft 467 00:17:09,750 --> 00:17:07,919 and 468 00:17:11,829 --> 00:17:09,760 you can see that it's actually quite 469 00:17:13,510 --> 00:17:11,839 small that's the the actual size is the 470 00:17:14,470 --> 00:17:13,520 little box in the lower 471 00:17:16,549 --> 00:17:14,480 right 472 00:17:18,309 --> 00:17:16,559 we've blown it up so you can see it 473 00:17:20,069 --> 00:17:18,319 on a relative size and while it's the 474 00:17:21,990 --> 00:17:20,079 smallest no question about it i think 475 00:17:25,110 --> 00:17:22,000 it's undoubtedly the most interesting 476 00:17:26,390 --> 00:17:25,120 and for its size is the most active 477 00:17:28,230 --> 00:17:26,400 uh and 478 00:17:30,390 --> 00:17:28,240 what we've been able to do with this 479 00:17:33,750 --> 00:17:30,400 mission is for the first time 480 00:17:34,789 --> 00:17:33,760 see uh jets going all the way to the 481 00:17:37,510 --> 00:17:34,799 surface 482 00:17:39,190 --> 00:17:37,520 and have a camera that's good enough to 483 00:17:41,190 --> 00:17:39,200 actually see the variability of the 484 00:17:42,870 --> 00:17:41,200 surface at the same time 485 00:17:45,270 --> 00:17:42,880 and what we're working on is trying to 486 00:17:47,270 --> 00:17:45,280 link those two that is how does the 487 00:17:49,110 --> 00:17:47,280 activity that's natural to the comet 488 00:17:51,750 --> 00:17:49,120 affect its surface 489 00:17:54,150 --> 00:17:51,760 so if i could have the next one please 490 00:17:56,470 --> 00:17:54,160 so here's a blow up of the the 491 00:17:59,510 --> 00:17:56,480 highest resolution we have so far 492 00:18:02,230 --> 00:17:59,520 uh the comet is 1.25 miles in the long 493 00:18:05,430 --> 00:18:02,240 axis in this image that's roughly the 494 00:18:07,669 --> 00:18:05,440 distance in washington dc from 495 00:18:09,669 --> 00:18:07,679 the u.s capital to the washington 496 00:18:14,150 --> 00:18:09,679 monument your average rally on the mall 497 00:18:18,710 --> 00:18:15,110 and 498 00:18:20,390 --> 00:18:18,720 you can see the the the dominant uh uh 499 00:18:22,390 --> 00:18:20,400 geologic signature is that we have two 500 00:18:24,310 --> 00:18:22,400 rough ends and a smooth middle i'm not 501 00:18:27,590 --> 00:18:24,320 sure what that makes it but that's what 502 00:18:29,830 --> 00:18:27,600 it is and uh what we see is that where 503 00:18:32,310 --> 00:18:29,840 the activity is where the jets are is 504 00:18:34,870 --> 00:18:32,320 the rough areas in particular if you 505 00:18:37,350 --> 00:18:34,880 look uh on the sun is still towards 506 00:18:38,870 --> 00:18:37,360 charles though actually it's totally 507 00:18:40,830 --> 00:18:38,880 it's over here now on the right sorry i 508 00:18:44,310 --> 00:18:40,840 got flipped around but this is the sun 509 00:18:46,230 --> 00:18:44,320 side uh and that's the rough area and 510 00:18:48,150 --> 00:18:46,240 we're uh fairly confident at this point 511 00:18:49,990 --> 00:18:48,160 that that is in fact the end of the 512 00:18:52,230 --> 00:18:50,000 nucleus the right end of the nucleus 513 00:18:53,510 --> 00:18:52,240 that is rotating in and out 514 00:18:55,430 --> 00:18:53,520 as we've been watching it all these 515 00:18:57,510 --> 00:18:55,440 weeks and in fact is where the dominant 516 00:19:00,390 --> 00:18:57,520 co2 and what we now think is the 517 00:19:01,990 --> 00:19:00,400 dominant dust is coming from 518 00:19:03,430 --> 00:19:02,000 uh and you'll see in a few images later 519 00:19:04,710 --> 00:19:03,440 that there are also jets on the other 520 00:19:08,230 --> 00:19:04,720 end 521 00:19:11,029 --> 00:19:08,240 but what we're seeing is that 522 00:19:12,789 --> 00:19:11,039 we have rough terrain where the jets are 523 00:19:14,789 --> 00:19:12,799 and in fact in many cases they seem to 524 00:19:16,870 --> 00:19:14,799 be correlated to specific topographic 525 00:19:19,110 --> 00:19:16,880 features 526 00:19:21,510 --> 00:19:19,120 and the middle in our best current 527 00:19:23,190 --> 00:19:21,520 interpretation we think is material 528 00:19:25,590 --> 00:19:23,200 fine-grained material that has been 529 00:19:27,909 --> 00:19:25,600 redistributed across the comet and 530 00:19:29,669 --> 00:19:27,919 collected in a topographic low 531 00:19:30,630 --> 00:19:29,679 so you get fine smooth material in the 532 00:19:32,070 --> 00:19:30,640 middle 533 00:19:35,590 --> 00:19:32,080 in that low 534 00:19:37,590 --> 00:19:35,600 we also found places where there are 535 00:19:39,990 --> 00:19:37,600 clumps of material 536 00:19:42,070 --> 00:19:40,000 they appear bright here i don't know if 537 00:19:43,510 --> 00:19:42,080 you can see the one along the upper 538 00:19:45,350 --> 00:19:43,520 uh 539 00:19:48,549 --> 00:19:45,360 edge but you can see it sticking off the 540 00:19:50,310 --> 00:19:48,559 edge of the the limb of the nucleus and 541 00:19:53,029 --> 00:19:50,320 we think that those might be 542 00:19:55,029 --> 00:19:53,039 materials that are remnants of activity 543 00:19:57,909 --> 00:19:55,039 that material that stayed behind 544 00:19:59,110 --> 00:19:57,919 whether as other materials were ejected 545 00:20:01,830 --> 00:19:59,120 or 546 00:20:04,950 --> 00:20:01,840 moved by the jets around 547 00:20:09,110 --> 00:20:07,270 let's see so let's go to the next image 548 00:20:11,350 --> 00:20:09,120 if you will and i promise to show you 549 00:20:13,029 --> 00:20:11,360 the other end and this is it 550 00:20:17,510 --> 00:20:13,039 um 551 00:20:19,909 --> 00:20:17,520 image it's uh 552 00:20:21,510 --> 00:20:19,919 it's the same exposure you saw before we 553 00:20:23,669 --> 00:20:21,520 just stretched it a bit to show you the 554 00:20:25,669 --> 00:20:23,679 jets and what's 555 00:20:27,669 --> 00:20:25,679 fascinating about this image is not only 556 00:20:28,789 --> 00:20:27,679 do we have major activity uh towards the 557 00:20:31,029 --> 00:20:28,799 bottom 558 00:20:32,549 --> 00:20:31,039 but you'll see on the terminator that is 559 00:20:34,710 --> 00:20:32,559 the line between the sun and the 560 00:20:36,470 --> 00:20:34,720 darkness there's a line of jets which 561 00:20:38,390 --> 00:20:36,480 are illuminating 562 00:20:40,789 --> 00:20:38,400 the nucleus so we can see the full 563 00:20:42,630 --> 00:20:40,799 extent and silhouette of the nucleus and 564 00:20:44,870 --> 00:20:42,640 we also see jets 565 00:20:46,950 --> 00:20:44,880 along that edge as well so we have jets 566 00:20:49,669 --> 00:20:46,960 in the night time we have jets along the 567 00:20:51,110 --> 00:20:49,679 edge and we have jets in the sun 568 00:20:52,549 --> 00:20:51,120 and this is probably as good a place as 569 00:20:54,630 --> 00:20:52,559 any to admit that we have a lot of work 570 00:20:56,070 --> 00:20:54,640 to do 571 00:20:57,830 --> 00:20:56,080 to try to understand what's going on 572 00:20:59,510 --> 00:20:57,840 here but this is 573 00:21:00,710 --> 00:20:59,520 just spectacular 574 00:21:03,110 --> 00:21:00,720 i certainly would personally like to 575 00:21:04,710 --> 00:21:03,120 thank everybody on the project 576 00:21:06,710 --> 00:21:04,720 and we'll start rolling that movie of 577 00:21:12,710 --> 00:21:06,720 the five images again and i'll send it 578 00:21:18,070 --> 00:21:15,510 okay i'm gonna see if they're gonna 579 00:21:19,430 --> 00:21:18,080 give them one second there there we go 580 00:21:31,430 --> 00:21:19,440 here comes our 581 00:21:33,990 --> 00:21:32,950 all right 582 00:21:35,350 --> 00:21:34,000 great job 583 00:21:37,990 --> 00:21:35,360 wonderful 584 00:21:39,990 --> 00:21:38,000 okay we are going to now take questions 585 00:21:41,590 --> 00:21:40,000 from here in the von karman auditorium 586 00:21:43,350 --> 00:21:41,600 from news media who may have questions 587 00:21:44,789 --> 00:21:43,360 and then we will take some 588 00:21:46,630 --> 00:21:44,799 by phone is there anyone here in the 589 00:21:49,190 --> 00:21:46,640 auditorium first of all who has a 590 00:21:52,710 --> 00:21:50,549 if there's no question here we can go 591 00:21:58,549 --> 00:21:52,720 ahead and take the call from kennedy 592 00:22:02,710 --> 00:22:01,029 and kramer space flight magazine and the 593 00:22:04,470 --> 00:22:02,720 planetary society what if you could talk 594 00:22:06,789 --> 00:22:04,480 a little bit more about these smooth 595 00:22:09,430 --> 00:22:06,799 area in the middle could this be due to 596 00:22:11,590 --> 00:22:09,440 any melting at all 597 00:22:13,830 --> 00:22:11,600 no i don't think so 598 00:22:15,590 --> 00:22:13,840 our best guess at the moment and 599 00:22:17,350 --> 00:22:15,600 slightly more than a guess is that it is 600 00:22:19,830 --> 00:22:17,360 in fact redistribution of materials 601 00:22:21,510 --> 00:22:19,840 we've seen it in other places 602 00:22:23,110 --> 00:22:21,520 of 603 00:22:25,270 --> 00:22:23,120 other asteroids 604 00:22:26,630 --> 00:22:25,280 asteroids for example several have these 605 00:22:31,190 --> 00:22:26,640 kinds of 606 00:22:35,990 --> 00:22:33,750 okay let's take one more and um when you 607 00:22:37,830 --> 00:22:36,000 expect to get some spectral data that 608 00:22:39,909 --> 00:22:37,840 you can release 609 00:22:41,909 --> 00:22:39,919 well i can personally say as the person 610 00:22:43,430 --> 00:22:41,919 who uh tends to lead the ir spectrum 611 00:22:45,029 --> 00:22:43,440 scene i haven't seen any yet because 612 00:22:47,750 --> 00:22:45,039 we've been busy 613 00:22:49,510 --> 00:22:47,760 so uh we have released the approach data 614 00:22:51,110 --> 00:22:49,520 and as we get stuff 615 00:22:52,549 --> 00:22:51,120 we haven't even looked at it yet so it's 616 00:22:55,510 --> 00:22:52,559 hard to predict when we'll know what's 617 00:22:56,789 --> 00:22:55,520 going on 618 00:22:58,070 --> 00:22:56,799 all right i'm going to take one more by 619 00:23:01,029 --> 00:22:58,080 phone and then we'll come back with the 620 00:23:05,909 --> 00:23:02,630 okay we're going to go to amina khan 621 00:23:07,510 --> 00:23:05,919 from the los angeles times next 622 00:23:08,950 --> 00:23:07,520 i think you want to see 623 00:23:10,470 --> 00:23:08,960 oh i'm sorry about that looks like i got 624 00:23:13,190 --> 00:23:10,480 cut off i wanted to see if there were 625 00:23:15,750 --> 00:23:13,200 any other plans for um using the 626 00:23:17,750 --> 00:23:15,760 spacecraft to take a look at other 627 00:23:21,350 --> 00:23:17,760 comets 628 00:23:24,950 --> 00:23:23,750 we are uh currently in the middle of a 629 00:23:29,510 --> 00:23:24,960 uh 630 00:23:30,950 --> 00:23:29,520 information we sent one out a few months 631 00:23:33,590 --> 00:23:30,960 ago i guess 632 00:23:35,669 --> 00:23:33,600 uh asking the scientific community uh do 633 00:23:38,310 --> 00:23:35,679 you have any ideas of what this 634 00:23:41,110 --> 00:23:38,320 spacecraft might be used for it does not 635 00:23:42,710 --> 00:23:41,120 have enough fuel left regretfully to 636 00:23:45,430 --> 00:23:42,720 actually go through another encounter 637 00:23:47,350 --> 00:23:45,440 phase that is change its orbit and go to 638 00:23:49,350 --> 00:23:47,360 another comet or asteroid 639 00:23:52,310 --> 00:23:49,360 but it does have enough fuel to maintain 640 00:23:54,390 --> 00:23:52,320 its attitude etc and it does have 641 00:23:57,350 --> 00:23:54,400 cameras and star trackers which could be 642 00:23:58,950 --> 00:23:57,360 used for uh you know finding asteroids 643 00:24:00,470 --> 00:23:58,960 or doing astronomy 644 00:24:02,950 --> 00:24:00,480 so we've asked the community to come up 645 00:24:05,430 --> 00:24:02,960 with ideas and we'll be entertaining 646 00:24:06,950 --> 00:24:05,440 those ideas over the next few months and 647 00:24:08,710 --> 00:24:06,960 make some decisions 648 00:24:10,630 --> 00:24:08,720 but what i do know is it doesn't cost a 649 00:24:12,390 --> 00:24:10,640 lot to use a satellite the second third 650 00:24:13,990 --> 00:24:12,400 or even fourth time 651 00:24:19,269 --> 00:24:14,000 so we're looking forward to getting some 652 00:24:23,669 --> 00:24:21,430 okay on the phone line now we have uh 653 00:24:25,110 --> 00:24:23,679 tracy watson from aol news and after 654 00:24:26,950 --> 00:24:25,120 tracy's question we will come here to 655 00:24:28,950 --> 00:24:26,960 von karman to take a question 656 00:24:30,230 --> 00:24:28,960 go ahead tracy 657 00:24:31,990 --> 00:24:30,240 thank you i just 658 00:24:33,350 --> 00:24:32,000 tried 659 00:24:34,710 --> 00:24:33,360 uh this 660 00:24:39,750 --> 00:24:34,720 smooth middle 661 00:24:43,110 --> 00:24:41,510 more or less yes and we don't know 662 00:24:46,070 --> 00:24:43,120 exactly how deep it is yet we haven't 663 00:24:48,070 --> 00:24:46,080 gotten our stereo data yet but that's 664 00:24:49,190 --> 00:24:48,080 the idea 665 00:24:51,669 --> 00:24:49,200 okay and 666 00:24:53,430 --> 00:24:51,679 are you surprised by this you're just a 667 00:24:55,590 --> 00:24:53,440 different place and 668 00:24:58,070 --> 00:24:55,600 this makes clear we have a lot of 669 00:25:00,310 --> 00:24:58,080 if you could elaborate there 670 00:25:01,909 --> 00:25:00,320 i didn't catch that were you surprised 671 00:25:04,310 --> 00:25:01,919 about the number of jets and would you 672 00:25:06,310 --> 00:25:04,320 elaborate on that phenomenon yeah i'll 673 00:25:08,630 --> 00:25:06,320 take that this is michael hearn 674 00:25:10,950 --> 00:25:08,640 uh we've seen 675 00:25:12,470 --> 00:25:10,960 jets from the ground not anywhere near 676 00:25:14,549 --> 00:25:12,480 the nucleus but we 677 00:25:17,590 --> 00:25:14,559 know that many comets produce jets of 678 00:25:19,190 --> 00:25:17,600 material and this comet in particular 679 00:25:20,950 --> 00:25:19,200 has been producing jets that 680 00:25:22,390 --> 00:25:20,960 ground-based observers have seen for a 681 00:25:24,950 --> 00:25:22,400 couple of months 682 00:25:27,350 --> 00:25:24,960 so we were not surprised at the 683 00:25:29,190 --> 00:25:27,360 existence of the jets 684 00:25:31,269 --> 00:25:29,200 we've known from close flybys for 685 00:25:33,830 --> 00:25:31,279 example of hallie that there are 686 00:25:35,269 --> 00:25:33,840 numerous jets in some comets not all 687 00:25:38,310 --> 00:25:35,279 comets 688 00:25:40,789 --> 00:25:38,320 but the surprising thing was that for 689 00:25:42,870 --> 00:25:40,799 the first time we can probably track 690 00:25:45,029 --> 00:25:42,880 those jets really to individual 691 00:25:47,830 --> 00:25:45,039 topographic features on the nucleus and 692 00:25:53,430 --> 00:25:47,840 that that was the real surprise that the 693 00:25:58,070 --> 00:25:55,190 okay we're going to bring it over here 694 00:25:59,990 --> 00:25:58,080 to emily lochdawala and you want to 695 00:26:01,590 --> 00:26:00,000 state your organization and okay you've 696 00:26:03,669 --> 00:26:01,600 got to make it emily lochtawa with the 697 00:26:04,870 --> 00:26:03,679 planetary society should we be surprised 698 00:26:06,789 --> 00:26:04,880 that there are jets coming out of the 699 00:26:08,950 --> 00:26:06,799 night side of the comment 700 00:26:11,510 --> 00:26:08,960 or is that common with comments also i'm 701 00:26:13,750 --> 00:26:11,520 wondering if with the level of activity 702 00:26:17,510 --> 00:26:13,760 how much longer this comet can remain so 703 00:26:21,110 --> 00:26:17,520 active before it it burns out 704 00:26:22,870 --> 00:26:21,120 uh okay i'll take that one also um 705 00:26:25,590 --> 00:26:22,880 there have been indications from 706 00:26:28,950 --> 00:26:25,600 previous flybys of comets that there 707 00:26:30,789 --> 00:26:28,960 were jets coming from the night side 708 00:26:32,149 --> 00:26:30,799 but this is by far the clearest 709 00:26:35,430 --> 00:26:32,159 demonstration 710 00:26:39,430 --> 00:26:37,029 the 711 00:26:42,310 --> 00:26:39,440 rate of loss of material and how soon 712 00:26:44,310 --> 00:26:42,320 the comet will die depends on how they 713 00:26:47,430 --> 00:26:44,320 die and we still haven't quite answered 714 00:26:49,669 --> 00:26:47,440 that question they die by sealing in 715 00:26:52,870 --> 00:26:49,679 the gas sealing in the ices or do they 716 00:26:55,669 --> 00:26:52,880 die by running out of ice this comet 717 00:26:57,990 --> 00:26:55,679 probably loses at least 718 00:27:00,390 --> 00:26:58,000 a meter to a meter and a half of 719 00:27:03,750 --> 00:27:00,400 material on average everywhere on the 720 00:27:05,350 --> 00:27:03,760 surface every time it comes by the sun 721 00:27:08,390 --> 00:27:05,360 so you can 722 00:27:11,110 --> 00:27:08,400 take the narrow dimension of 500 meters 723 00:27:17,909 --> 00:27:13,110 at a meter and a half per perihelion 724 00:27:22,470 --> 00:27:19,590 and then also i'm wondering about the 725 00:27:24,310 --> 00:27:22,480 hri images and what the status on those 726 00:27:26,870 --> 00:27:24,320 is 727 00:27:29,350 --> 00:27:26,880 the hri images are still being processed 728 00:27:31,110 --> 00:27:29,360 we have to deconvolve them because the 729 00:27:34,549 --> 00:27:31,120 that camera is out of focus we know how 730 00:27:36,870 --> 00:27:34,559 to do that preliminary deconvolution uh 731 00:27:38,549 --> 00:27:36,880 still shows some artifacts it's easy to 732 00:27:40,710 --> 00:27:38,559 introduce artifacts when you try to 733 00:27:42,549 --> 00:27:40,720 deconvolve an image that's out of focus 734 00:27:43,669 --> 00:27:42,559 and the preliminary images still show 735 00:27:52,950 --> 00:27:43,679 that 736 00:27:58,310 --> 00:27:53,990 okay we're going to take one over here 737 00:28:07,510 --> 00:27:59,990 stand by one second is that microphone 738 00:28:12,310 --> 00:28:09,750 alicia chang from the associated press 739 00:28:14,310 --> 00:28:12,320 besides the difference in size and jet 740 00:28:16,870 --> 00:28:14,320 activity what other differences have you 741 00:28:18,710 --> 00:28:16,880 been able to glean about hardly two 742 00:28:22,549 --> 00:28:18,720 compared with the other four comets have 743 00:28:26,630 --> 00:28:24,710 well the clumps that i referred to are 744 00:28:27,669 --> 00:28:26,640 something that was quite a surprise that 745 00:28:30,389 --> 00:28:27,679 we 746 00:28:31,830 --> 00:28:30,399 haven't seen them elsewhere even though 747 00:28:33,029 --> 00:28:31,840 we looked for them 748 00:28:36,789 --> 00:28:33,039 on temple 749 00:28:41,029 --> 00:28:39,590 i think the surprises are yet to come on 750 00:28:42,549 --> 00:28:41,039 the compositional side because we 751 00:28:44,870 --> 00:28:42,559 haven't looked at the infrared 752 00:28:47,590 --> 00:28:44,880 spectrometer 753 00:28:49,269 --> 00:28:47,600 the signatures in the 754 00:28:50,870 --> 00:28:49,279 the fact that it was active was known 755 00:28:52,470 --> 00:28:50,880 but i don't think any of us really felt 756 00:28:54,310 --> 00:28:52,480 we were going to see as 757 00:28:55,830 --> 00:28:54,320 much spectral signature as we did to 758 00:28:56,830 --> 00:28:55,840 produce the kinds of maps that mike 759 00:28:58,630 --> 00:28:56,840 showed 760 00:28:59,590 --> 00:28:58,640 you i don't know if you want to add 761 00:29:01,190 --> 00:28:59,600 anything 762 00:29:03,590 --> 00:29:01,200 now the 763 00:29:05,669 --> 00:29:03,600 we already announced a few weeks ago one 764 00:29:07,269 --> 00:29:05,679 way in which this comet's very different 765 00:29:10,470 --> 00:29:07,279 from others and that was that it 766 00:29:12,870 --> 00:29:10,480 released in september over a period of 767 00:29:14,630 --> 00:29:12,880 two weeks 768 00:29:16,230 --> 00:29:14,640 a few million tons 769 00:29:18,630 --> 00:29:16,240 of 770 00:29:20,630 --> 00:29:18,640 cyanogen radicals we don't know what 771 00:29:23,510 --> 00:29:20,640 those come from probably from hydrogen 772 00:29:26,070 --> 00:29:23,520 cyanide and if water did the same thing 773 00:29:29,269 --> 00:29:26,080 we're talking a thousand times more 774 00:29:30,950 --> 00:29:29,279 material without dragging out any dust i 775 00:29:33,830 --> 00:29:30,960 just showed you pictures that show how 776 00:29:35,990 --> 00:29:33,840 when the dry ice gets active you drag 777 00:29:38,630 --> 00:29:36,000 out dust with it or solid grains they 778 00:29:40,389 --> 00:29:38,640 may be water ice grains for all we know 779 00:29:42,630 --> 00:29:40,399 but you drag out grains and normally 780 00:29:45,430 --> 00:29:42,640 when the gas flows out it drags all the 781 00:29:47,909 --> 00:29:45,440 solid material with it this activity in 782 00:29:50,230 --> 00:29:47,919 september didn't do that that is a 783 00:29:51,750 --> 00:29:50,240 phenomenon we haven't seen before also 784 00:29:53,510 --> 00:29:51,760 so there are phenomena that we haven't 785 00:29:54,470 --> 00:29:53,520 seen before and 786 00:29:56,310 --> 00:29:54,480 just like 787 00:29:59,830 --> 00:29:56,320 the clumps on the nucleus we don't 788 00:30:03,430 --> 00:30:01,510 i should say there are things on the 789 00:30:05,990 --> 00:30:03,440 nucleus that are familiar 790 00:30:07,750 --> 00:30:06,000 we see in different comets little pieces 791 00:30:09,669 --> 00:30:07,760 of things that kind of 792 00:30:11,590 --> 00:30:09,679 are familiar but putting it together is 793 00:30:15,510 --> 00:30:11,600 still something we're struggling with 794 00:30:18,310 --> 00:30:16,710 all right next we're going to go back to 795 00:30:21,430 --> 00:30:18,320 the phone lines we're going to richard 796 00:30:23,029 --> 00:30:21,440 kerr from science magazine go ahead 797 00:30:25,269 --> 00:30:23,039 thank you 798 00:30:27,430 --> 00:30:25,279 i was just wondering about the 799 00:30:28,870 --> 00:30:27,440 co2 800 00:30:31,750 --> 00:30:28,880 dominance 801 00:30:33,110 --> 00:30:31,760 it does co2 802 00:30:34,830 --> 00:30:33,120 dominate 803 00:30:38,630 --> 00:30:34,840 gases coming 804 00:30:40,549 --> 00:30:38,640 off the comet as a whole 805 00:30:42,149 --> 00:30:40,559 what about the water is it the water 806 00:30:45,990 --> 00:30:42,159 normally 807 00:30:47,669 --> 00:30:46,000 the primary driver on other comets 808 00:30:51,750 --> 00:30:47,679 on most comets 809 00:30:52,870 --> 00:30:51,760 the overall outgassing is indeed mostly 810 00:30:53,990 --> 00:30:52,880 water 811 00:30:58,310 --> 00:30:54,000 and 812 00:31:00,470 --> 00:30:58,320 anywhere from one percent to 10 percent 813 00:31:02,470 --> 00:31:00,480 carbon monoxide 814 00:31:04,389 --> 00:31:02,480 there are virtually no measurements of 815 00:31:06,470 --> 00:31:04,399 carbon dioxide except our own 816 00:31:08,870 --> 00:31:06,480 measurements at comet tempo one and one 817 00:31:11,990 --> 00:31:08,880 or two measurements from 818 00:31:14,230 --> 00:31:12,000 infrared spacecraft in earth orbit 819 00:31:15,190 --> 00:31:14,240 but probably it's of order five or ten 820 00:31:16,470 --> 00:31:15,200 percent 821 00:31:19,029 --> 00:31:16,480 typically 822 00:31:22,230 --> 00:31:19,039 we do not yet have a proper absolute 823 00:31:24,549 --> 00:31:22,240 calibration of our infrared spectra we 824 00:31:27,029 --> 00:31:24,559 see the water there but the water does 825 00:31:29,190 --> 00:31:27,039 not go up and down nearly as much as the 826 00:31:31,269 --> 00:31:29,200 carbon dioxide does when the when the 827 00:31:33,029 --> 00:31:31,279 nucleus rotates around 828 00:31:35,029 --> 00:31:33,039 and you get this big burst of carbon 829 00:31:37,350 --> 00:31:35,039 dioxide you may get a very small 830 00:31:38,149 --> 00:31:37,360 increase in water 831 00:31:39,990 --> 00:31:38,159 so 832 00:31:42,789 --> 00:31:40,000 in this case we think this carbon 833 00:31:45,269 --> 00:31:42,799 dioxide the dry ice is driving it but we 834 00:31:50,310 --> 00:31:45,279 don't have an absolute number even in 835 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:53,110 okay thank you 836 00:31:58,070 --> 00:31:55,350 all right the next call is from jim roop 837 00:32:01,430 --> 00:31:58,080 of cnn radio please go ahead hi thank 838 00:32:02,950 --> 00:32:01,440 you and congratulations everybody uh for 839 00:32:05,029 --> 00:32:02,960 if you could help me here from the 840 00:32:05,990 --> 00:32:05,039 perspective of a regular member of the 841 00:32:08,470 --> 00:32:06,000 public 842 00:32:09,990 --> 00:32:08,480 what specifically is the reason or was 843 00:32:12,710 --> 00:32:10,000 the reason for this mission is it 844 00:32:15,750 --> 00:32:12,720 because hartley 2 presented itself as a 845 00:32:17,830 --> 00:32:15,760 for an exploratory mission or is there 846 00:32:19,990 --> 00:32:17,840 more something specific about this 847 00:32:22,149 --> 00:32:20,000 mission and number two 848 00:32:24,710 --> 00:32:22,159 why why should i care as a member of the 849 00:32:26,789 --> 00:32:24,720 public what what impact what impact does 850 00:32:28,950 --> 00:32:26,799 this have for me 851 00:32:31,350 --> 00:32:28,960 let me try to answer the second one 852 00:32:33,990 --> 00:32:31,360 first 853 00:32:41,029 --> 00:32:36,310 what specifically is the reason or what 854 00:32:46,950 --> 00:32:42,950 can i go ahead and answer it i think i 855 00:32:51,909 --> 00:32:49,029 the reason we wanted to go to hartley 2 856 00:32:54,470 --> 00:32:51,919 specifically is because it was a very 857 00:32:57,190 --> 00:32:54,480 small very active comet 858 00:32:59,269 --> 00:32:57,200 and was therefore different from 859 00:33:00,389 --> 00:32:59,279 the other comets we had studied in 860 00:33:02,470 --> 00:33:00,399 detail 861 00:33:06,149 --> 00:33:02,480 so that was the driver for choosing 862 00:33:08,549 --> 00:33:06,159 comet hartley 2 versus some other comet 863 00:33:11,590 --> 00:33:08,559 what we hoped to do 864 00:33:13,909 --> 00:33:11,600 was to 865 00:33:16,310 --> 00:33:13,919 use the difference between a small 866 00:33:18,710 --> 00:33:16,320 active comet and a large 867 00:33:21,029 --> 00:33:18,720 relatively inactive comet like temple 868 00:33:24,470 --> 00:33:21,039 one or borreli 869 00:33:26,549 --> 00:33:24,480 and to address the question of 870 00:33:29,269 --> 00:33:26,559 what parts of comets 871 00:33:31,750 --> 00:33:29,279 are due to the recent processing and 872 00:33:33,430 --> 00:33:31,760 what parts tell us about the formation 873 00:33:34,870 --> 00:33:33,440 of the solar system four and a half 874 00:33:37,029 --> 00:33:34,880 billion years ago 875 00:33:39,509 --> 00:33:37,039 and ultimately what we want to 876 00:33:41,909 --> 00:33:39,519 use this for is to figure out how did we 877 00:33:42,950 --> 00:33:41,919 get here 878 00:33:45,750 --> 00:33:42,960 what 879 00:33:47,990 --> 00:33:45,760 materials came to earth four and a half 880 00:33:50,070 --> 00:33:48,000 billion years ago that enabled life to 881 00:33:51,590 --> 00:33:50,080 exist here 882 00:33:55,029 --> 00:33:51,600 what were the conditions when the 883 00:33:57,590 --> 00:33:55,039 planets were forming the comets are 884 00:33:59,750 --> 00:33:57,600 the cores of jupiter saturn uranus and 885 00:34:02,549 --> 00:33:59,760 neptune they have large cores that are 886 00:34:04,310 --> 00:34:02,559 made up of comets and the comets that 887 00:34:05,990 --> 00:34:04,320 didn't get captured into those planets 888 00:34:08,710 --> 00:34:06,000 are what are what are left over for us 889 00:34:10,869 --> 00:34:08,720 to see so that's the ultimate goal in 890 00:34:13,589 --> 00:34:10,879 studying any comets and 891 00:34:15,750 --> 00:34:13,599 the specific goal was to find one that 892 00:34:21,909 --> 00:34:15,760 is very different in its aspects than 893 00:34:27,829 --> 00:34:24,869 okay next call is uh stephen clark from 894 00:34:30,310 --> 00:34:27,839 space flight now 895 00:34:32,629 --> 00:34:30,320 hi thanks for taking my call um two 896 00:34:35,190 --> 00:34:32,639 questions first uh what does the shape 897 00:34:37,589 --> 00:34:35,200 of of this comet the elongated peanut 898 00:34:39,829 --> 00:34:37,599 shape what could that tell you about its 899 00:34:41,909 --> 00:34:39,839 history i mean could it be like a rubble 900 00:34:44,629 --> 00:34:41,919 pile type comment like we see in 901 00:34:47,669 --> 00:34:44,639 asteroids and secondly 902 00:34:48,710 --> 00:34:47,679 when does the epoxy project money run 903 00:34:52,710 --> 00:34:48,720 out and do you have any plans for 904 00:34:52,720 --> 00:34:58,870 you get the first half 905 00:35:02,470 --> 00:35:00,790 well i hope you do the second one give 906 00:35:03,750 --> 00:35:02,480 me a chance to see 907 00:35:05,510 --> 00:35:03,760 well i'll go ahead and address the 908 00:35:06,630 --> 00:35:05,520 second one there you go 909 00:35:09,030 --> 00:35:06,640 we um 910 00:35:09,829 --> 00:35:09,040 we're currently slated to conclude our 911 00:35:11,430 --> 00:35:09,839 our 912 00:35:12,550 --> 00:35:11,440 current phase of operations at the end 913 00:35:14,630 --> 00:35:12,560 of this year 914 00:35:17,430 --> 00:35:14,640 and uh so that's that's the current set 915 00:35:19,670 --> 00:35:17,440 of plans with the with the spacecraft 916 00:35:21,750 --> 00:35:19,680 and like ed mentioned a little while ago 917 00:35:25,829 --> 00:35:21,760 nasa is looking at future uses but that 918 00:35:30,630 --> 00:35:27,990 so spuds in space is always a good 919 00:35:31,589 --> 00:35:30,640 analogy to small bodies we've got potato 920 00:35:33,349 --> 00:35:31,599 shapes 921 00:35:34,630 --> 00:35:33,359 and all sorts of things 922 00:35:35,829 --> 00:35:34,640 both in the asteroid and comet 923 00:35:37,270 --> 00:35:35,839 communities but i think they're very 924 00:35:38,069 --> 00:35:37,280 different 925 00:35:40,470 --> 00:35:38,079 the 926 00:35:43,349 --> 00:35:40,480 rubble piles are probably a lot stronger 927 00:35:44,790 --> 00:35:43,359 than anything we see inside comets 928 00:35:47,589 --> 00:35:44,800 um 929 00:35:49,349 --> 00:35:47,599 so uh the shape is telling us something 930 00:35:50,790 --> 00:35:49,359 i don't think we have a clue yet what it 931 00:35:53,990 --> 00:35:50,800 is and in fact we probably have some 932 00:35:56,150 --> 00:35:54,000 arguments as to what it might be today 933 00:36:06,310 --> 00:35:56,160 and we'll be working that over the next 934 00:36:12,390 --> 00:36:07,829 okay we're going to go to wayne friedman 935 00:36:16,790 --> 00:36:14,950 congratulations on your work simple 936 00:36:19,109 --> 00:36:16,800 question for an average viewer out here 937 00:36:21,270 --> 00:36:19,119 can you give us an indication of the 938 00:36:23,750 --> 00:36:21,280 size the temperature maybe the pressures 939 00:36:27,910 --> 00:36:23,760 of those jets if a person were to stand 940 00:36:32,470 --> 00:36:30,230 uh it would definitely be less than a 941 00:36:34,150 --> 00:36:32,480 fire hose 942 00:36:36,230 --> 00:36:34,160 even though it even though the jets 943 00:36:37,750 --> 00:36:36,240 behave much like the water coming out of 944 00:36:39,190 --> 00:36:37,760 a fire hose 945 00:36:42,069 --> 00:36:39,200 you would feel it 946 00:36:43,829 --> 00:36:42,079 it probably would not be enough to lift 947 00:36:45,990 --> 00:36:43,839 you off the surface but it might it's 948 00:36:48,710 --> 00:36:46,000 sort of on the borderline of be of being 949 00:36:50,150 --> 00:36:48,720 able to lift you off the surface 950 00:36:52,310 --> 00:36:50,160 but it doesn't take much to lift off the 951 00:37:04,230 --> 00:36:52,320 surface yeah you have to remember that 952 00:37:08,310 --> 00:37:06,470 we're going to go again back to amina 953 00:37:09,670 --> 00:37:08,320 khan from the los angeles times please 954 00:37:12,950 --> 00:37:09,680 go ahead 955 00:37:15,190 --> 00:37:12,960 hi i just wanted to see if the uh the 956 00:37:16,950 --> 00:37:15,200 jets of this anigen um i think called 957 00:37:18,950 --> 00:37:16,960 standards and radicals um 958 00:37:22,950 --> 00:37:18,960 is that common i mean are did those 959 00:37:24,710 --> 00:37:22,960 materials tell us anything about um 960 00:37:26,069 --> 00:37:24,720 anything unique about this particular 961 00:37:28,950 --> 00:37:26,079 comment and i know it's a little bit 962 00:37:31,109 --> 00:37:28,960 early to say but has what we've learned 963 00:37:34,390 --> 00:37:31,119 thus far over the past several weeks 964 00:37:39,270 --> 00:37:34,400 told us anything new about the origins 965 00:37:43,510 --> 00:37:40,550 trying to 966 00:37:45,190 --> 00:37:43,520 interpret any of the data from a fast 967 00:37:47,270 --> 00:37:45,200 flyby 968 00:37:48,470 --> 00:37:47,280 in terms of the ultimate origins 969 00:37:50,870 --> 00:37:48,480 question 970 00:37:52,390 --> 00:37:50,880 will invariably takes a lot longer than 971 00:37:54,550 --> 00:37:52,400 the flyby 972 00:37:57,349 --> 00:37:54,560 the engineers come along and they give 973 00:38:00,310 --> 00:37:57,359 us this these wonderful data 974 00:38:02,150 --> 00:38:00,320 and they dump a ton of information on us 975 00:38:04,790 --> 00:38:02,160 and sorting it all out in terms of 976 00:38:10,470 --> 00:38:04,800 origins will take 977 00:38:14,230 --> 00:38:12,870 oh i'm sorry the the cyanogen jets in 978 00:38:16,390 --> 00:38:14,240 particular 979 00:38:19,190 --> 00:38:16,400 the most useful thing 980 00:38:21,349 --> 00:38:19,200 uh we think at the moment will be in 981 00:38:23,670 --> 00:38:21,359 relating them to the jets we see here 982 00:38:25,990 --> 00:38:23,680 and using the combination of the two to 983 00:38:30,069 --> 00:38:26,000 figure out exactly how the 984 00:38:34,230 --> 00:38:30,079 nucleus is rotating because the nucleus 985 00:38:37,109 --> 00:38:34,240 rotates over something like 18 hours and 986 00:38:38,950 --> 00:38:37,119 the spacecraft flies by and all our 987 00:38:40,069 --> 00:38:38,960 images of the nucleus 988 00:38:42,790 --> 00:38:40,079 that 989 00:38:45,510 --> 00:38:42,800 you have seen were taken in a period of 990 00:38:47,109 --> 00:38:45,520 roughly 200 seconds so the nucleus 991 00:38:48,630 --> 00:38:47,119 doesn't move enough for us to see the 992 00:38:52,310 --> 00:38:48,640 rotation 993 00:38:53,670 --> 00:38:52,320 so combining the data on the jets from 994 00:38:55,990 --> 00:38:53,680 two different directions from the 995 00:38:57,910 --> 00:38:56,000 spacecraft and from the earth is the 996 00:39:02,310 --> 00:38:57,920 only way we'll be able to sort out what 997 00:39:06,630 --> 00:39:04,790 all right we have two callers at kennedy 998 00:39:07,910 --> 00:39:06,640 space center would one of you please go 999 00:39:11,910 --> 00:39:07,920 ahead and please give us your name and 1000 00:39:17,510 --> 00:39:15,510 uh tk monet timber daily news 1001 00:39:18,950 --> 00:39:17,520 uh back to the hambone 1002 00:39:20,069 --> 00:39:18,960 structure 1003 00:39:22,470 --> 00:39:20,079 um 1004 00:39:26,230 --> 00:39:22,480 i guess i'm asking for speculation could 1005 00:39:27,109 --> 00:39:26,240 centrifugal or centrifugal force cause 1006 00:39:29,430 --> 00:39:27,119 your 1007 00:39:32,069 --> 00:39:29,440 idea that that's fine grain in the 1008 00:39:33,829 --> 00:39:32,079 valley areas or the center area and 1009 00:39:35,589 --> 00:39:33,839 would that be more 1010 00:39:38,950 --> 00:39:35,599 prone to fracture 1011 00:39:40,950 --> 00:39:38,960 and break the comet into two or 1012 00:39:43,270 --> 00:39:40,960 would the fine grain make it even more 1013 00:39:46,310 --> 00:39:43,280 stable so that it would out gas only on 1014 00:39:49,990 --> 00:39:47,670 well there's a lot of speculation in 1015 00:39:51,430 --> 00:39:50,000 there i i think if if the centripetal 1016 00:39:53,349 --> 00:39:51,440 force was an issue the thing would have 1017 00:39:54,710 --> 00:39:53,359 broken apart a long time ago 1018 00:39:58,230 --> 00:39:54,720 because we don't think the comets are 1019 00:40:01,190 --> 00:39:59,589 and the rest i think 1020 00:40:03,109 --> 00:40:01,200 we'll put it in the list of things we're 1021 00:40:05,270 --> 00:40:03,119 all thinking about 1022 00:40:07,910 --> 00:40:05,280 those ideas i don't honestly we just 1023 00:40:11,430 --> 00:40:07,920 don't know at this point 1024 00:40:13,670 --> 00:40:11,440 i i'll speculate that 1025 00:40:15,670 --> 00:40:13,680 if the torque from the jets were to spin 1026 00:40:17,589 --> 00:40:15,680 up the rotation 1027 00:40:19,430 --> 00:40:17,599 uh and the rotation does seem to be 1028 00:40:21,510 --> 00:40:19,440 changing although it seems to be slowing 1029 00:40:23,190 --> 00:40:21,520 down if you were if it were to spin up 1030 00:40:27,510 --> 00:40:23,200 the rotation so that it were going 1031 00:40:29,270 --> 00:40:27,520 around in a uh in a few hours then i'm 1032 00:40:31,109 --> 00:40:29,280 almost certain that in fact the two 1033 00:40:36,309 --> 00:40:31,119 pieces would fly apart 1034 00:40:39,990 --> 00:40:38,470 all right let's go john 1035 00:40:42,069 --> 00:40:40,000 i saw the graph of the brightness 1036 00:40:43,910 --> 00:40:42,079 variation during the approach uh is that 1037 00:40:45,430 --> 00:40:43,920 directional like a service feature or 1038 00:40:47,030 --> 00:40:45,440 would that be seen from all directions 1039 00:40:49,190 --> 00:40:47,040 like a dust cloud and what was the 1040 00:40:53,270 --> 00:40:49,200 phasing of the encounter uh relative to 1041 00:41:02,069 --> 00:40:56,870 the 1042 00:41:04,150 --> 00:41:02,079 associated almost entirely with jets 1043 00:41:06,390 --> 00:41:04,160 that start out pointing very nearly 1044 00:41:08,069 --> 00:41:06,400 towards the sun at least as seen in 1045 00:41:09,910 --> 00:41:08,079 projection on the sky 1046 00:41:12,150 --> 00:41:09,920 from the spacecraft now they may be 1047 00:41:14,470 --> 00:41:12,160 tilted behind the plane of the sky or 1048 00:41:17,190 --> 00:41:14,480 before out from the plane of the sky but 1049 00:41:19,510 --> 00:41:17,200 pointing more or less towards the sun 1050 00:41:21,270 --> 00:41:19,520 and then they rotate around 1051 00:41:23,430 --> 00:41:21,280 so it's almost certainly 1052 00:41:25,510 --> 00:41:23,440 a relatively small fraction of the 1053 00:41:27,670 --> 00:41:25,520 surface that's producing them just to 1054 00:41:30,870 --> 00:41:27,680 keep all of the material going in one 1055 00:41:35,990 --> 00:41:33,670 working out the details of where it is 1056 00:41:37,670 --> 00:41:36,000 uh jessica showed you where roughly 1057 00:41:39,750 --> 00:41:37,680 where on the nucleus we think all that 1058 00:41:41,910 --> 00:41:39,760 activity is happening it's on 1059 00:41:44,309 --> 00:41:41,920 on the end where you see the jets 1060 00:41:46,470 --> 00:41:44,319 uh in the picture that's up at right at 1061 00:41:48,870 --> 00:41:46,480 the moment 1062 00:41:51,349 --> 00:41:48,880 but exactly beyond that i think we'd be 1063 00:41:55,910 --> 00:41:51,359 speculating beyond the ability of our 1064 00:42:00,630 --> 00:41:57,349 okay on the line right now we have mike 1065 00:42:03,109 --> 00:42:00,640 wahl from space.com go ahead please 1066 00:42:04,390 --> 00:42:03,119 sure yeah i would just like to just to 1067 00:42:05,750 --> 00:42:04,400 know um 1068 00:42:08,069 --> 00:42:05,760 could you guys give us just a sense of 1069 00:42:09,670 --> 00:42:08,079 actually how much data has been pouring 1070 00:42:11,109 --> 00:42:09,680 in and will continue to pour in and 1071 00:42:13,430 --> 00:42:11,119 exactly how long it's going to take you 1072 00:42:15,750 --> 00:42:13,440 guys to go through all this to actually 1073 00:42:17,349 --> 00:42:15,760 figure out what exactly you've and 1074 00:42:20,309 --> 00:42:17,359 kind of what you can learn from it i'll 1075 00:42:22,390 --> 00:42:20,319 give you one number 1076 00:42:24,710 --> 00:42:22,400 we've been observing 1077 00:42:29,349 --> 00:42:24,720 since the 5th of september and we will 1078 00:42:36,230 --> 00:42:33,190 from the first of october 1079 00:42:38,390 --> 00:42:36,240 until we did our last maneuver a couple 1080 00:42:40,790 --> 00:42:38,400 of days ago 1081 00:42:43,910 --> 00:42:40,800 one of the three instruments 1082 00:42:46,950 --> 00:42:43,920 has delivered 23 000 images to the 1083 00:42:51,270 --> 00:42:48,870 uh the other 1084 00:42:53,109 --> 00:42:51,280 the other camera has delivered fewer the 1085 00:42:55,349 --> 00:42:53,119 the spectrometer has delivered a 1086 00:42:56,390 --> 00:42:55,359 comparable amount of data and that's 1087 00:42:57,829 --> 00:42:56,400 just 1088 00:43:00,150 --> 00:42:57,839 over uh 1089 00:43:02,150 --> 00:43:00,160 approximately one month of the entire 1090 00:43:04,069 --> 00:43:02,160 encounter that lasts two and two thirds 1091 00:43:06,390 --> 00:43:04,079 months 1092 00:43:07,990 --> 00:43:06,400 the total the total number of images 1093 00:43:09,589 --> 00:43:08,000 that we plan to bring down to the ground 1094 00:43:11,430 --> 00:43:09,599 by the time we finish 1095 00:43:17,349 --> 00:43:11,440 all the observations is approximately 1096 00:43:19,910 --> 00:43:18,390 all right i'm going to check one more 1097 00:43:22,950 --> 00:43:19,920 time here in van carmen yes we do have a 1098 00:43:27,750 --> 00:43:22,960 question wait for a microphone 1099 00:43:31,270 --> 00:43:29,510 all right one quick question where is 1100 00:43:34,710 --> 00:43:31,280 the rotational pole in the image that 1101 00:43:42,230 --> 00:43:36,630 great question when you figure it out 1102 00:43:45,349 --> 00:43:43,990 it almost certainly goes through the 1103 00:43:48,069 --> 00:43:45,359 short axis 1104 00:43:51,109 --> 00:43:48,079 but but whether it's uh 1105 00:43:53,349 --> 00:43:51,119 you know going this way or this way we 1106 00:43:55,190 --> 00:43:53,359 don't really know yet 1107 00:43:57,109 --> 00:43:55,200 okay and then a more detailed question 1108 00:43:58,309 --> 00:43:57,119 i'm really really struck by the boldery 1109 00:44:00,470 --> 00:43:58,319 nature of this thing and how similar 1110 00:44:02,309 --> 00:44:00,480 that looks to itokawa the tiny asteroid 1111 00:44:03,829 --> 00:44:02,319 visited by hayabusa and i'm wondering if 1112 00:44:06,230 --> 00:44:03,839 people think that 1113 00:44:07,829 --> 00:44:06,240 really tiny solar system objects are 1114 00:44:09,030 --> 00:44:07,839 more bouldery or if it's just a 1115 00:44:11,109 --> 00:44:09,040 coincidence 1116 00:44:13,030 --> 00:44:11,119 well i wouldn't use the word boulder yet 1117 00:44:15,510 --> 00:44:13,040 because boulder implies rocks 1118 00:44:18,230 --> 00:44:15,520 and itakawa is probably rocks and it's 1119 00:44:20,870 --> 00:44:18,240 got dominated by ejecta processes from 1120 00:44:23,349 --> 00:44:20,880 impacts this is very different 1121 00:44:24,870 --> 00:44:23,359 and i honestly can't say exactly what we 1122 00:44:27,190 --> 00:44:24,880 called clumps where there's a reason we 1123 00:44:31,190 --> 00:44:27,200 chose a nice vague word but it's not 1124 00:44:32,950 --> 00:44:31,990 so 1125 00:44:35,670 --> 00:44:32,960 you know 1126 00:44:39,990 --> 00:44:35,680 putting them together well yeah 1127 00:44:43,589 --> 00:44:41,750 but they all have very little gravity 1128 00:44:45,349 --> 00:44:43,599 and that's something that's in common is 1129 00:44:49,030 --> 00:44:45,359 probably telling us 1130 00:44:52,309 --> 00:44:50,790 all right i think that takes care of all 1131 00:44:53,910 --> 00:44:52,319 the questions here in the von carmen 1132 00:44:55,589 --> 00:44:53,920 auditorium and on the phone lines we 1133 00:44:58,069 --> 00:44:55,599 want to thank you so much for joining us 1134 00:44:59,589 --> 00:44:58,079 it's been a wonderful day here at nasa's 1135 00:45:02,150 --> 00:44:59,599 jet propulsion laboratory we're going to 1136 00:45:04,150 --> 00:45:02,160 end the briefing with the replay of all 1137 00:45:05,829 --> 00:45:04,160 the videos and images that you've seen