<p><br /> A NASA spacecraft has sent back stunning pictures of a comet after a close encounter in deep space.<br /> </p><p><br /> Mission controllers burst into applause upon seeing images from the flyby that revealed a peanut-shaped comet belching jets of poisonous gases.<br /> </p><p><br /> The close encounter occurred 13 million miles away from Earth when the Deep Impact craft, hurtling through space, flew within 435 miles of comet Hartley 2.<br /> </p><p><br /> It is only the fifth time that a comet's core has been viewed up close. Studying them could provide clues to how Earth and the planets formed and evolved.<br /> </p><p><br /> At roughly one mile wide, Hartley 2 is the smallest comet to be photographed up close. But only time will tell what secrets it<br /> </p><p><br /> Principal investigor Michael A'Hearn said: "The first thing everyone wants to know about the scientific return from a mission is how much it's increased our knowledge, but of course the scientific work is just beginning now. The engineers did a fantastic job of getting us data. Now we have to make sense of it to advance the science."<br /> </p>
