The stage is set today for a cosmic collision that could reveal more about how life came to earth. Scientists want to study the contents of a comet and, to do so, they have engineered a spectacular crash.

A projectile has been lauched by NASA’s Deep Impact spacecraft. It is due to hit a comet called Tempel 1. “The impactor is heading at 23,000 miles per hour toward the comet,” said NASA’s Dr Charles Elachi. “At that speed you can go from LA to Washington in less than six minutes, so that will give you a feel about the speed we are moving at. “So, you will be witnessing tonight, for the first time ever, the unveiling of what comets’ interiors are made of,” he added. A live EuroNews broadcast covering the cosmic crash was starting at 7.45 this morning Central European Time.

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