The Solar System - Word Search - PUZZLE #48 TEMPEL 0NE - August 2025

PUZZLE #48 - TEMPEL ONE 

IN-CONTEXT WORD DEFINITIONS

Stardust: This refers to NASA's Stardust-NExT mission, which was the second mission to visit Tempel 1. In 2011, the Stardust probe performed a flyby of the comet's nucleus, observing the crater left by the Deep Impact mission and collecting data on changes to the comet's surface. The Stardust mission was originally designed to collect samples from Comet Wild 2.

Crater: During the Deep Impact mission, a 370-kilogram copper impactor was intentionally sent to collide with Tempel 1's nucleus, creating an artificial crater. This "crater" was observed by the Deep Impact flyby probe and later re-imaged by Stardust-NExT, allowing scientists to study the comet's subsurface material.

Impact: This specifically refers to the intentional collision of the Deep Impact mission's impactor with Tempel 1's nucleus in 2005. The "impact" created the crater and ejected a plume of material, providing scientists with an opportunity to analyze the comet's composition, both from the ejected material and the newly exposed subsurface.

Ice: Tempel 1, like other comets, is primarily composed of various types of ice, including water ice and frozen gases. These ices are the main constituents of its nucleus and are responsible for its activity as it approaches the Sun.

Organic: The analyses of the material ejected from Tempel 1 during the Deep Impact mission revealed the presence of "organic" molecules. These are carbon-containing compounds, and their discovery provided insight into the potential role of comets in delivering the building blocks of life to early Earth.

Water: Water ice is a major component of Tempel 1's nucleus. When the comet approaches the Sun, this water ice sublimates, contributing to the coma and tail formation. Water was also detected in the plume created by the Deep Impact collision.

Carbonates: The detection of carbonate minerals in the material ejected from Tempel 1 was a significant discovery. On Earth, "carbonates" are usually formed in the presence of liquid water, suggesting that Tempel 1's interior might have experienced conditions where liquid water could exist at some point, possibly due to radiogenic heating or the presence of ammonia.

Volatiles: These are chemical elements and compounds that have low boiling points and can easily vaporize. In the context of Tempel 1, "volatiles" refer to the various ices and frozen gases (like water, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide) that make up its nucleus and are released when heated by the Sun.

Sublimation: This is the process where a solid changes directly into a gas without first becoming a liquid. On Tempel 1, as the comet approaches the Sun, the solar radiation causes the ices in its nucleus to "sublimate," releasing gas and dust that form the coma and tails.

Secret Word: Analysis of the Deep Impact mission's findings suggested that Tempel 1's nucleus is a loosely packed structure with many empty spaces. This porous nature allowed the impactor to penetrate deeper than expected and contributed to the characteristics of the ejected plume. This "porous" structure is typical for many comets, which are often described as "rubble piles." [5]