[upchuck]

More info:

http://www.technewsworld.com/story/cIhG9ktc5Hvi9u/NASAs-Deep-Impact-To-Rendezvous-with-Comet.xhtml

[Names Ash Housewares]

Another major bonus is learning more about these objects so we understand them better just in case we need to stop an impact some day. Its all good!

[Chode]

Either way, it will not appreciably change the comet's path.
that's not the point, the point is... can we deflect it at all, and if we can, can we detect it's angle of deflection???
if so, then it's just a matter of doing the arithmetic to figure out how to deflect something on a collision course with earth since the farther out it's done, the less deflection required...

[Just another Joe]

Either way, it will not appreciably change the comet's path. (We hope)

[tnlibertarian]

a spray of ice and dust

Are they sure? Maybe it's another one of those big balls of snot.

[OXENinFLA]

Nice day for some fireworks.........

To bad we won't be able to see the show.

[colorado tanker]

Totally cool. Every time we do one of these deep space probes we learn something new and usually unexpected. (Except when we do the math wrong and the thing crashes.)

[handy old one]

bump

[RightWhale]

they can't say whether backyard astronomers will be able to see it.

The flash may be visible from earth.

[stylecouncilor]

ping

[taxesareforever]

Deep Impact craft will pass about 310 miles away from it and watch the smash-up

Hmmm, a tangible object "watching". Could there possibly be a tree, right now, watching me? So sinister. Instead of Big Brother watching it could be Big Object watching.

[SunkenCiv]

NASA to send celestial hammer to break open comet
EARTHTimes.org | 2004-12-20 | I. A. Harry
Posted on 12/23/2004 9:20:12 AM PST by Diamond
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1307359/posts