Science on Mauna Kea
-There will be NO media or public activities on the summit.
-Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO)-
Spectroscopic observations may help characterize the effect of the impactor on the
chemical
composition and outgassing pattern of the comet, and to characterize the
amount of volatiles
released by the impact and their speed and direction.
CONTACT: Hiroko Shinnaga at (808) 935-1909
-Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT)-
CFHT will be using its square degree array MegaCam to monitor the comet a few days
before,
during and a week after the impact. The observations will be carried out in
r (red) and i (near infrared)
filters. Megacam should be able to monitor any large
scale evolution in the dust distribution and cometary
emission following the impact.
CONTACT: Remi Cabanac at (808) 885-3163
-Gemini Observatory-
Using a mid-infrared (10-20 micron) high-resolution spectrograph, observations will
be made
before, during and after impact to watch for changes in the dust if the
impact releases pristine
material from beneath the comet's surface.
CONTACT: Peter Michaud at (808) 974-2510
-NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF)-
A suite of instruments will be used in a 6 week-long campaign to study the composition
and
temperature of the dust and gas from the interior of the comet especially at the
time of impact,
by cameras and spectrographs covering the range from the visible to the
infrared. Both reflected
light from the sun and heat from the comet will be studied.
CONTACT: Bobby Bus at (808) 932-2371
-James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT)-
The JCMT will measure key molecules in the coma of the comet at the time of impact and
in the weeks
thereafter. These molecules, such as hydrogen cyanide, methanol and
formaldehyde, will be observed
at submillimeter wavelengths, to help astronomers
better understand the chemistry and composition of
comets and of the early solar system.
CONTACT: Douglas Pierce-Price at (808) 969-6524
-WM Keck Observatories-
High resolution optical spectra will be obtained with the Keck I telescope to look at
isotopic abundances
in comets. Comparing these to those found in interstellar clouds
and elsewhere in the solar system can tell
us a great deal about the origin of
cometary ices, and the history of the formation of the solar system.
Keck II
will be looking at spectra in the near-infrared (just redder than where the
human eyes can detect) to look at
the gaseous organic molecules in the comet. This
helps us to understand the chemistry and conditions in the
cloud of gas and dust
that formed our solar system.
CONTACT: Laura Kraft at (808) 881-3827
-Subaru Telescope-
Data from Subaru instrument COMICS (COoled Mid-Infrared Camera and Spectrograph
will help determine the
size of the rubble caused by the Deep Impact collision. The
size distribution of material ejected from the comet
is an indicator of the strength of
the comet's surface and the style of cratering.
CONTACT: Cathy Ishida at (808) 934-5086
-Submillimeter Array (SMA)-
SMA will be making the only high resolution submillimeter-wavelength observations
of the comet during the
collision, and will have the unique ability to make high
resolution images of both the dust that this comet is
made of and the molecular gas
which is likely to be released.
CONTACT: Antony Schinckel at (808) 961-2924, Alison Peck at (808) 961-2195
-United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT)-
UKIRT will be using "CGS4", an infrared spectrometer to look for water vapor before,
during and after the
impact. Astronomers will study the amount of ice that is
vaporized by the impact and the temperature it
reaches, in hopes of answering three
key questions: "Where is the pristine material in comets?",
"Do comets lose their ice
or seal it in?", and "What do we know about crater formation?".
CONTACT: Douglas Pierce-Price at (808) 969-6524
-UH 2.2m-
Using a unique new instrument on this telescope, we will have good time resolved
low-resolution spectra
to measure the response of the coma (cloud of gas and dust
surrounding the comet) to a large increase
of gas and dust in the coma. Astronomers
will look for signs that the nucleus is not uniform chemically.
CONTACT: Klaus Hodapp at (808) 932-2313
-UH 0.6m-
The UH 0.6m telescope will use a new type of imaging camera to take very high speed
images of the
impact flash to watch the evolution of the dust as it flows away from
the nucleus. The change in light
output from the comet during the impact and
associated flash will help astronomers understand the
physics of the impact and flash.
Monitoring will continue for one day after impact to watch the evolution
of the
comet's coma.
CONTACT: Richard Wainscoat at (808) 956-8429
