A Smashing Success for Faulkes and Glen Spectra

The success of NASA's Deep Impact project was watched with anticipation by staff at Glen Spectra. Within 15 minutes of the collision images from the ground based Faulkes telescope, which uses optical filters supplied by Glen Spectra, were on the web for all to see.

The Deep Impact mission to look inside comet Tempel 1 by smashing a copper probe into its surface was a spectacular success. Results from this mission will greatly enhance our understanding of the formation of the Solar system and implications of comets colliding with Earth.

The Faulkes Telescopes are located in Hawaii (FT North) and Australia (FT South) and are used by school children for hands on practical experience of Astronomy. The FTN on Maui captured the first ground images using Photometric filters supplied by Glen Spectra. The filters were custom designed to meet the telescopes exacting performance requirements and include Bessel, SDDS, Oxygen 3 and H Alpha filters.

Glen Spectra supply precision optical filters for applications from astronomy to microscopy and spectroscopy to security.

All images courtesy of the Faulkes Telescope Project.

The Faulkes Telescope North can clearly see the expanding ejecta in the coma (the white area).

Prof. A. Fitzsimmons and the Maui Deep Impact Workshop students and educators.

Post Impact. Note the satellite that has passed over the telescope during exposure.