NASA releases photos of comet Hartley 2

As NASA explains, the comet’s nucleus (or main body) is approximately 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) long and .4 kilometers (.25 miles) at the “neck,” or most narrow portion. “Jets” flow out of the nucleus.

The mission’s Medium-Resolution Instrument captured six black-and-white images, some not as high-res as other NASA images. The Christian Science Monitor says “Ed Weiler, who runs the space science mission directorate at NASA headquarters in Washington dubbed the feat ‘just amazing.'”

The EPOXI Mission Deep Impact fact-sheet [PDF] states: The flyby of Hartley 2 on Nov. 4, 2010, will go down in space history books as only the fifth comet ever to have a spacecraft fly close enough to take images.

Hartley 2 was first discovered in 1986.

Comets are believed to be the frozen detritus from the formation of planets in the solar system around 4.5 billion years ago.

More photos below:

This close-up view of comet Hartley 2 was taken by NASA’s EPOXI mission during its flyby of the comet on Nov. 4, 2010.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD

Another view of the Hartley 2 comet taken by NASA

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD

An image of the Hartley 2 comet taken when the Deep Impact spacecraft was 18 hours before the flyby

NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD