EPOXI Mission: Raw Images of Comet Hartley 2 from 2010 Encounter

NASA's EPOXI mission captured raw images of comet 103P/Hartley 2 using its Medium Resolution Visible CCD (MRI) instrument. Clear-filter and CN images were acquired from September 5 through November 26, 2010, while OH, C2, and dust continuum images were taken only around closest approach. This dataset likely contains the unprocessed visual data from that encounter phase.

Use Cases

• Analyze comet morphology and surface features based on clear-filter images
• Study CN (cyanogen) emission distribution around the comet nucleus based on CN images
• Investigate OH and C2 molecule emissions during closest approach based on OH and C2 images
• Measure dust continuum levels in the comet's coma based on dust continuum images

Strengths

• Images acquired by a NASA space mission instrument (MRI) during a dedicated comet encounter
• Data covers a defined time range from September 5 to November 26, 2010
• Includes images from multiple spectral filters (clear, CN, OH, C2, dust continuum)

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Acquired by the Medium Resolution Visible CCD (MRI) instrument on the EPOXI mission spacecraft.

Time Range

September 5, 2010 to November 26, 2010

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 04:12:27.860855; freshness should be verified