The EPOXI probe succesfully passed the nucleus of the comet Hartley2 this afternoon

"Early observations of the comet show that, for the first time, we may be able to connect activity to individual features on the nucleus," said EPOXI Principal Investigator Michael A'Hearn of the University of Maryland. "We certainly have our hands full. The images are full of great cometary data, and that's what we hoped for."

A longer exposure of the cometary nucleus, showing details around the comet, with escaping gasses and clumps, from various parts of the core

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