Ever seen a comet up close? Jet Propulsion Lab scientists and NASA's EPOXI mission captured this image of comet Hartley 2 in a fly-by today. The length of the comet is equal to the distance between the Capitol building and the Washington Monument, says the JPL website. The sun is to the right in the image, which was captured from about 400 miles away.
Video of the JPL team celebrating in Pasadena. Love the music.