Getting Closer

This image shows comet Tempel 1 as seen by the Deep Impact spacecraft on June 20, 2005. It was taken using the clear filter of the spacecraft's medium resolution imager camera. The spacecraft was 12,452,913.2 kilometers (7,738,240 miles) away from the comet. Four images were combined together to create this picture, and a logarithmic stretch was applied to enhance the coma of the comet. The object to the right of the comet is a star.