Nota de prensa
PARANAL Y LA SILLA ENTREGAN PRIMERAS CONCLUSIONES DEL IMPACTO PROFUNDO
14 de Julio de 2005
Los astrónomos que observaron los efectos del choque contra el cometa Tempel 1 desde los principales telescopios de ESO, presentaron los primeros resultados de esta maratón científica inédita en Chile.
Por primera vez los principales telescopios de ESO en La Silla (IV Región) y Paranal (II Región) apuntaron en una misma dirección durante 10 noches seguidas. Este inédito despliegue tuvo un objetivo no menos ambicioso: recabar la mayor información posible del primer impacto contra un cometa provocado por el hombre.
El proyectil que chocó contra el cometa Tempel 1 el pasado 4 de julio buscaba liberar al espacio material primordial, que había permanecido oculto durante más de 4 mil millones de años.
Todo el polvo y gas eyectado producto tanto del impacto como de la actividad natural del cometa, fueron registrados minuciosamente por los poderosos instrumentos ópticos e infrarrojos de La Silla y Paranal hasta la noche del 9 de julio.
Esta valiosa información está siendo analizada por 15 expertos en cometas que se encuentran reunidos en la sede de ESO en Santiago.
Una de las principales conclusiones preliminares es que tras el impacto se liberó una gran cantidad de polvo fino. Este efecto tuvo una corta duración ya que al parecer este polvo lentamente se dispersó y la coma volvió a su estado normal. “Esto indicaría que el cometa se recuperó rápido y que el impacto no causó cambios en el largo plazo. Esto es muy interesante”, comentó el astrónomo de ESO Olivier Hainaut.
El astrónomo advirtió que todavía es muy pronto para saber si el choque realmente liberó material primordial que había permanecido intacto desde el origen del Sistema Solar. “El análisis del abanico de polvo y gas no ha mostrado grandes diferencias hasta ahora, pero un análisis más detallado podría revelar diferencias entre el material que normalmente libera el cometa y el material eyectado después del impacto. Esto requiere más tiempo”, explicó Olivier Hainaut.
De todas maneras, los astrónomos que participaron en la campaña de observación de la misión Impacto Profundo en La Silla y Paranal concuerdan en que nunca antes había existido una colaboración científica de esta envergadura entre los principales observatorios del mundo.
“Ésta es la primera vez que se recopila tanta información de un cometa en forma simultánea y usando todas las técnicas disponibles. Incluso sin el impacto, esta campaña de observación habría sido una gran oportunidad para aprender sobre este cometa y los cometas en general. El que sí se haya producido el impacto hace aún más interesante el análisis y estudio del Tempel 1”, concluyó Hainaut.
Contactos
Hermann Boehnhardt
MPI
Lindau, Germany
Correo electrónico: boehnhardt@linmpi.mpg.de
Olivier Hainaut
ESO
Chile
Teléfono: +56 2 463 3118
Correo electrónico: ohainaut@eso.org
Hans-Ulrich Käufl
ESO
Garching, Germany
Correo electrónico: hukaufl@eso.org
Heike Rauer
DLR
Garching, Germany
Correo electrónico: Heike.Rauer@dlr.de
José Miguel Mas Hesse (Contacto para medios de comunicación en España)
Red de Difusión Científica de ESO
y Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA)
Madrid, Spain
Teléfono: +34 918131196
Correo electrónico: eson-spain@eso.org
Acerca de la nota de prensa
| Nota de prensa No.: | eso0523-es |
| Legacy ID: | PR 19/05 |
| Nombre: | Comet Tempel 1 |
| Tipo: | Solar System : Interplanetary Body : Comet |
| Facility: | Very Large Telescope |
| Instruments: | NACO |
Imágenes
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